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23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  NY.  14580 

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CIHM/ICMH 

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CIHIVI/ICMH 
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la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — ^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE  ",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN  ". 

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film^s  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diff^rents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  due 
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et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


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OR,  LEAs'ES    IROM   THE 


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^  ^i  U    OF    AN     OLD    SAILOR. 


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Bi    "WEBFOOT." 

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BOSTON: 
NICHOL8    ^    HALL. 


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FORE  AND  AFT; 


OR,  LEAVES   FROM  THE 


LIFE    OF    AN    OLD    SAILOR. 


By    "WEBFOOT." 


With  Illustrations  by  Hammatt  Billings. 


CVv^x  iV 


BOSTON : 

NICHOLS    &    HALL. 

1871. 


7Sfi 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1870,  by 

W.    D,    PHELPS, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington, 


STBSKOTTFED  BT  TOHN  C.  UEOAN  ft  OO. 

6S  Cougre«8  Street. 


WITH  GRATEFUL   RESPECT, 
THE   FOLLOWING   NARRATIVE   IS   DEDICATED 
BY  THE   AUTHOR 

To    Capt.    ELEAZER   EDES    BRADSHAW, 

AND    TO    THE    MEMORY    OF    HIS    BROTHER, 

Capt.     ROBERT     EDES, 

BOTH  OF  CHARLESTOWN,  MASS., 
MY    EARLY    AND    MUCH-VALUED    FRIENDS. 
THE   ONE    STILL   LIVES,    A   GOOD   SPECIMEN   OF   THE   OLD 
CLASS    SEAMAN,    MERCHANT   AND   GENTLEMAN; 
THE    MORTAL    REMAINS    OF    THE    OTHER    REPOSE    ON    ONE 
OF   THE  AZORES   ISLANDS  ;    AND  WHILE   TIME   MOULD- 
ERS   HIS    FRAIL    RELICS    TO    DUST,     PRECIOUS 
MEMORIES    REMAIN    TO    THOSE    WHO 
KNEW   HIM,    OF   HIS   GOODNESS 
AND   NOBLE   CHARACTER. 


Lexington,  1870. 


W.  D.  P. 


(Hi) 


170e09 


>«M»wiMMni 


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CONTENTS. 


Chapter 

I.  —  My  Early  Years  . 

II.  —  My  First  Voyage 
III.  —  Again  Afloat 
IV. —  Incidents  of  the  Voyage 

v.- -My  Island  Home  . 

_    VI.  —  How    WE    LIVED 

VII. —  Something  about  Birds 

VIII.  —  Beginning  a  New  Year 

IX.  —  Once  More  at  Sea 

X.  —  The  Fejee  Mermaid 

XI.  —  In  the  British  Navy 

XII.  —  To  Australia 

'   XIII.  —  Valparaiso     . 

XIV.  —  Under  the  Stars  and  Stripes 

XV.— Home  at  Last      ... 

(v) 


Page 

7 

12 

25 

34 
45 
6o 

74 

90 

104 

117 

141 

151 
160 

170 


Vi  CONTENTS. 

Chapter  ^ 

XVI.  — A  Trip  to  Cuba 

XVII.  —  In  Command     .... 

XVIII.  —  A  Yankee  Visitor 

XIX.  —  A  Shipwreck    .... 

XX.  —  An  Agricultural  Experience 

XXI.  —  A  California  Cruist;:     .. 

XXII.  —  California  in  1840 

XXIII.  —  The  Commodore  Jones  War 

XXIV.  — The  Hudson  Bay  Company  . 
XXV.  —  How  California  became  ours 

XXVI.  —  Taking  Possession  of  the  Country 
XXVII.  —  The  Story  of  the  War  Continued 
XXVIII.  — The  Last  Voyage   .        .        .        . 
XXIX.  — A  Farewell  to  California  . 
XXX.  — A  Voyage  to  China 


Pags 
.  186 


.  197 

•  205 
.  214 
.  228 
.  236 
.  250 
.  261 
.  269 
.  277 

•  293 

•  307 

•  322 

•  337 

•  353 


CHAPTER  I. 


MY    EARLY     YEARS. 


T30RN  within  a  cable's  length  of  the  sea-beat 
"■-^  shore,  inhaiiuj^  with  my  earliest  breath  the  at- 
mosphere .  r  Old  Ocean,  and  descended  from  a  line 
of  sailors  on  both  sides  of  the  house,  it  was  not 
matter  of  much  wonder  that  I  very  early  manifested 
a  strong  love  for  the  sea,  and  took  to  the  water  as 
naturally  as  a  duck.  These  manifestations  were 
not  pleasing  to  the  "  old  folks  at  home,"  and  they 
did  what  they  could  to  shape  my  course  in  another 
direction.  In  v^iin  was  I  reminded,  time  and  again, 
that  my  father's  father  and  his  only  brother  had  both 
perished  at  sea,  that  my  mother's  three  brothers  had 
likewise-  found  watery  graves,  and  that  of  all  our 
many  relatives  who  had  taken  up  with  a  seafaring 
life,  but  one  remained  living.  All  these  facts  had 
so  little  effect  upon  me,  that  I  must  have  had  a 
natural  inclination  for  the  sea ;  therefore,  as  the 
twig  was  bent,  so  inclined  the  tree. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  war  with  Great 
Britain,  being  then  about  ten  years  of  age,  I  was 
an  adept  in  the  management  of  a  boat.  I  spent 
every  hour  I  could  call  my  own  on  or  about  the 
water,  much  preferring  the  study  of  modelling  and 
rigging  ships,  climbing  the  masts,  and  the  like 
r,ccupations,  to  the  more  proper  studies  to  which, 

(7)      . 


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8 


FOUE  AND  AFT. 


at  that  age,  I  should  have  applied  myself  in  the 
district  school-house. 

The  spirit  of  privateering  was  rife  in  my  native 
town.  Some  of  the  first  privateers  that  were  fitted 
out  were  very  successful ;  everybody  that  could  go 
seemed  eager  to  be  off  after  John  Bull's  boats,  and 
jWhy  should  not  I?  Oh,  for  a  few  years  over  my 
head,  and  a  few  inches  more  to  my  stature  !  I  was 
daily  on  board  of  every  craft  that  was  fitted  out, 
was  perfectly  conversant  with  the  character  of 
each  vessel  and  crew,  and  more  than  once  tried  to 
stow  myself  away  and  get  to  sea,  but  did  not  suc- 
ceed. Poor  foolish  boy  !  the  hard  realities  of  the 
profession  came  early  enough,  when,  at  last,  I  was 
enabled  to  commence  my  "  march  upon  the  moun- 
tain wave,  my  home  upon  the  deep." 

One  circumstance  in  relation  to  the  above  is 
quite  fresh  in  my  remembrance.  The  schooner 
Liverpool  Packet.,  an  English  privateer,  had 
taken  many  vessels  and  destroyed  many  fishing 
craft  and  wood-coasters  in  Boston  Bay,  and  had 
become  quite  notorious.  One  Sunday  forenoon, 
while  people  were  at  church,  she  made  her  appear- 
ance off"  the  mouth  of  our  harbor,  having  set  fire 
to  a  coasting- vessel  which  she  had  that  morning 
captured.  During  service  the  spirited  notes  of  a 
drum  and  fife  in  the  streets  -horoughly  aroused  the 
congregation,  who  were  just  diving  into  "  Parson 
Hartshorn's  "  sixthly  and  seventhly,  and  describing 
with  their  heads  evolutions  similar  to  those  of  a 
ship  pitching  into  a  short,  head  sea.  The  men  and 
boys  started  to  their  legs,  and  rushed  out  of  the  old 


A  SPECK  OF   WAR. 


meeting-house,  not  standing  much  upon  the  order 
of  their  going. 

This  old  meeting-house  itself  retained  some  me- 
mentos in  it  of  a  former  war,  that  were  rather 
provocative  of  a  warlike  spirit.  When  the  Brit- 
ish sloop-of-war  Falcon.,  Captain  Lindsay,  bom- 
barded the  town  in  1775?  two  of  her  twelve-pound 
shot  entered  the  meeting-house  ;  one,  at  least,  partly 
penetrated  just  under  the  upper  deck  or  singing-loft, 
and  with  its  ugly  face  projecting  from  the  plastering, 
remained  there  staring  at  the  minister  for  many 
years  after  the  second  war ;  the  other  one  took  a 
lower  range,  and  passing  entirely  through  and 
through  the  old  craft,  and  sadly  raking  the  upper 
works  of  the  pews,  left  its  track,  which  remained, 
I  believe,  as  long  as  the  house  stood. 

With  some  expectation  of  a  second  edition  of  the 
above  work,  we  rushed  out  to  see  what  was  to  pay, 
and  who  was  to  pay  it.  The  "  bobbery,"  as  the 
Chinaman  would  say,  was  to  raise  volunteers  to 
capture  the  bold  Briton.  A  new  clipper  brig  was 
13/ing  at  the  wharf,  which  had  never  been  to  sea. 
She  was  intended  as  a  Letter  of  Marque,  and,  I  be- 
lieve, had  nothing  on  board  but  her  ballast ;  her 
sails  were  not  bent  nor  her  running-rigging  rove, 
neither  had  she  any  armament  or  provisions  on 
board.  However,  there  was  a  rush  to  the  wharf 
by  captains  and  mates,  dressed  in  their  claw-ham- 
mer jackets,  flying-jib  shirts,  and  other  church-go- 
ing duds,  ai.d  sailors  with  their  neat  blue  jackets, 
snow-white  duck  trousers,  wide  and  fringed  at  the 
bottom,  sailors'  pumps  on  their  feet,  and  snug,  well- 


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FORE  AND  AFT. 


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fitting,  shiny  hats,  with  wide  black  ribbons  hanging 
in  ship-shape  manner  over  the  larboard  bow.  Ah, 
sailors  in  those  days  dressed  like  sailors ;  now  they 
dress  like  what  they  are.  Then  a  sailor  with  a 
slouched  hat,  and  pantaloons  inside  of  his  boots, 
would  not  have  been  tolerated  on  a  ship's  forecastle.  * 

It  was  soon  settled  who  should  take  the  com- 
mand. The  officers  were  chosen,  and  a  sufficient 
crew  were  soon  on  the  deck  of  the  Orleans.  In 
a  few  hours  she  was  shoved  off  from  the  wharf, 
and  was  soon  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy.  In  the  hurry 
of  fitting  out,  I  thought  here  would  be  an  opening 
for  an  enterprising  young  man  to  make  a  begin- 
ning ;  so  after  helping  to  pass  u^iout  the  munitions 
of  war  and  things  in  general  until  just  before  cast- 
ing off,  I  watched  my  opportunity  to  jump  down 
tlie  after-hatch,  and  stowed  myself  away  in  the 
cable  tier.  But,  alas !  somebody's  eyes  were  upon 
me.  Old  Captain  "Joe  Babson"  was  sculling 
about  in  the  hold  to  see  if  all  was  right ;  and,  in 
violation  of  all  the  rights  of  a  free  and  patriotic 
citizen,  pitched  me  upon  deck  in  a  very  unceremo- 
nious manner,  with  an  order  to  "pass  that  boy 
ashore."  Who  could  fight  for  his  country  after 
such  treatment? 

The  Orleans  returned  the  following  day,  without 
t'^ing  able  to  catch  the  prize,  and  had  a  narrow 
escape  from  being  herself  caught  by  a  heavy  gun 
brig,  who  chased  her  to  the  entrance  of  the  harbor. 

Events  followed  thick  and  fast,  creating  great 
excitement  among  the  seafaring  people,  and,  of 
course,  highly  interesting  to  the  boys.     The  daily 


SENT  TO  SCHOOL,. 


II 


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appearance  of  the  enemy's  ships-of-war  off  our 
harbor,  their  frequently  sending  in  boats  to  cut  out 
or  burn  vessels,  their  frequent  landings  and  pilfer- 
ings,  kept  our  people  in  constant  alarm.  As  the 
war  progressed  we  anxiously  witnessed  the  ac- 
tion between  the  Chesapeake  and  Shannon^  and 
the  narrow  escape  of  the  frigate  Constitution 
into  Salem  harbor  with  a  squadron  in  pursuit,  both 
of  which  events  were  in  plain  sight  from  our 
shores.  One  day  a  barge  from  an  English  frigate 
landed  and  spiked  the  guns  of  a  small  fort  at  Sandy 
Bay.  The  barge,  on  her  retreat,  was  sunk  by  the 
act  of  her  own  crew,  who  put  an  extra  charge  in 
the  bow  gun,  which  burst  and  sunk  the  boat,  and 
the  crew  were  left  prisoners. 

I  mention  some  of  these  incidents,  to  "show  how 
many  causes  there  were  to  arouse  active  spirits  and 
create  a  desire  to  liiive  a  hand  in  such  matters.  My 
propensity  for  the  sea  was  quickened,  but  my  vari- 
ous attempts  to  get  afloat  were  baffled  ;  and  finally, 
to  secure  me  from  harm,  or,  perhaps,  from  harming 
the  enemy,  I  was  packed  off  into  the  country,  to 
Dummer  Academy,  and  was  kept  there  till  peace 
was  proclaimed.  Leaving  there,  I  went  to  Bos- 
ton to  learn  the  art  and  mystery  of  the  printing 
business,  and  staid  one  year ;  this  I  did  to  please 
my  parents,  and  at  the  expiration  of  the  year  went 
to  sea  to  please  myself. 


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FORE  AND  AFT. 


CHAPTER  II. 


MY   FIRST   VOYAGE. 


MY  first  voyage  was  in  the  good  brig  Corporal 
Trim.,  in  the  responsible  capacity  of  cabin-boy. 
My  captain  was  something  akin  to  "  Uncle  Toby," 
and  I  shall  prefer  so  to  call  him,  for  what  more 
suitable  master  could  be  foun  1  for  Corporal  Trim 
than  Uncle  Toby?  ,  He  was  a  kind-hearted  old 
man,  who  had  so  much  of  the  milk  of  human  kind- 
ness in  his  bosom  that  a  fly  would  be  safe  to  tor- 
ment him,  and  permitted  to  escape  with  a  similar 
ejaculation  to  that  which  accompanied  my  Uncle 
Toby's  fly  out  of  the  window.  But  report  said  the 
above  milk  had  been  soured  in  an  uncongenial 
domestic  atmosphere,  and  the  old  man  accepted  a 
command  when  his  age  rendered  him  incapable  of 
performing  the  duties  incident  to  it.  His  life  at 
sea  had  been  mostly  in  the  West  India  and  Bilboa 
trade,  and  he  was  esteemed  a  respectable  master  for 
those  voyages.  The  mate  was  a  rough-and-ready 
sort  of  fellow,  a  good  sailor  and  a  tolerable  officer. 
The  crew,  six  in  number,  were  all  but  one  from 
my  native  place,  and  all  prime  seamen. 

We  sailed  from  Boston  in  September,  1816, 
bound  for  Cowes  and  a  market.  The  passage  out 
was  pleasant  enough,  with  no  events  of  interest. 
We  stopped  off'  Falmouth  and  landed  our  super- 


ON  A   FOREIGN  SHORE. 


13 


le 


ed  a 

of 

at 

boa 

rfor 

eady 

icer. 

10m 

816, 
e  out 
jrest. 

per- 


cargo,  who  was  to  go  up  to  London,  while  we  took 
a  pilot  and  proceeded  to  Cowes,  to  await  orders. 
The  morning  after  anchoring  at  West  Cowes,  while 
the  crew  were  washing  decks,  the  boat  was  got  out, 
dropped  astern,  and  the  boy  ordered  into  her  to 
clean  her  out.  Having  accomplished  my  work, 
the  mate,  who  had  a  spice  of  fun  in  him,  called 
out,  "  Boy,  can  you  scull?  "  "  Yes,  sir."  "  WeU, 
scull  away  then,"  said  he,  letting  go  the  painter  at 
the  same  time.  "Where  shall  I  scull  to,  sir?" 
"  Oh,  haul  in  your  painter,  and  scull  ashore." 

This  was  just  what  I  wanted.  I  had  been  eye- 
ing the  shore  all  the  morning,  at  half  a  mile  dis- 
tance :  everything  was  new  and  strange  there  ;  a 
longing  desire  possessed  me  to  put  my  foot  on  it, 
and  here  was  an  unexpected  chance  to  do  so.  The 
mate  thought  I  could  not  scull,  but  he  was  mistaken. 
I  let  the  boat  drift  almost  out  of  hail  before  I  got 
ready  to  get  an  oar  out,  and  when  I  was  ready, 
headed  the  boat  to  the  shore,  and  made  her  travel, 
to  the  astonishment  of  Mr.  Mate.  He  shouted  for 
me  to  return,  but  I  chose  not  to  hear  him,  and  was 
soon  at  the  ^'•"^v.  Making  the  boat  fast,  I  jumped 
ashore,  and  this  was  my  first  advent  on  foreign  soil. 
Strolling  along  for  about  an  hour,  and  enjoying  a 
look  at  many  nice  things  suited  to  make  a  boy's 
mouth  water,  but  which  I  had  no  money  to  buy,  I 
returned  to  the  Coi-poral^  and  took  a  scolding  from 
the  mate  because  I  did  not  return  when  hailed,  and 
a  slight  reprimand  from  my  Uncle  Toby,  because 
his  boots  had  not  been  blacked  earlier. 

We  lay  here   about  a  week,  and  then  received 


H 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


orders  to  proceed  to  Amsterdam.  Taking  on  board 
a  North  Sea  pilot  from  the  Isle  of  Wight,  we 
arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Ziiyder  Zee,  on 
the  sand-banks  of  v^^hich  the  city  is  constructed, 
built,  as  everybody  knows,  by  piles  being  driven 
down  to  obtain  foundations.  The  approach  to  the 
city  is  interrupted  by  sand-banks,  so  that  in  the 
time  of  which  I  write,  only  vessels  of  a  light 
draught  could  get  up  there  ;  since  then,  the  con- 
struction of  the  Nieuw  Diep  Canal  permits  the 
passage  of  large-sized  ships.  The  little  Corporal 
was  hitched  on  to  by  the  heavy  drag-boats,  and 
after  much  struggling,  pulled  through  the  mud  of 
the  "Pampooses."  With  a  fine  breeze,  we  ran  up 
in  due  time,  and  moored  ship  close  to  the  city. 

The  latter  part  of  November  we  were  ready  for 
sea  again.  Our  cargo  had  been  discharged,  and  as 
no  freights  were  to  be  had,  we  left  in  ballast  for 
Boston  about  the  20th.  The  ballast  consisted  of 
old  iron,  mostly  condemned  shot  and  shell  and 
pieces  of  old  ordnance,  left  by  the  French  when 
they  evacuated  the  city.  The  city  of  Amsterdam 
has  been  so  often  and  well  described,  that  I  shall 
only  say  that  it  is  so  intersected  with  canals,  that  it 
comprises  nearly  one  hundred  islands,  and  has  two 
hundred  and  fifty  bridges;  vessels  pass  through 
drawbridges,  and  penetrate  every  street. 

Hitherto  the  voyage  had  been  on  a  summer's  sea, 
and  there  had  been  but  little  that  was  disagfreeable 
or  hard  about  it;  but  now  we  were  bound  on  a 
wintry  passage  across  the  Atlantic.  We  were 
hardly  clear  of  the  land   before   we  encountered 


TAKING  A  PILOT. 


15 


violent  gales  and  heavy  seas,  which  prevailed  most 
of  the  time,  until  our  principal  sails  were  split,  and 
our  bulwarks  much  stove.  The  iron  ballast  had 
been  placed  too  low  in  the  hold,  causing  the  vessel 
to  strain  and  labor  dreadfully.  We  had  been  ly- 
ing-to  under  close-reefed  storm-sails  five  days  south 
of  the  Isle  of  Wight ;  on  the  sixth,  the  gale  mod- 
erated, with  a  bad  sea  running  and  the  wind  ahead, 
when  we  discovered  a  small  craft  to  the  windward, 
lying-to.  We  did  not  dream  of  seeing  a  pilot-boat 
so  far  off,  and  in  such  weather,  but  such  she  proved 
to  be.  Uncle  Toby  said,  "  If  that  is  an  Isle  of 
Wight  pilot,  and  I  can  get  him  on  board,  we  will 
run  into  port  and  repair  damages.'^  Now,  we  had 
sustained  no  damage  to  make  it  necessary  to  put 
in,  and  no  one  on  board  had  anticipated  such  a 
thing ;  but  the  old  man's  gin-case  was  getting  dry, 
and  to  him  that  was  a  serious  matter. 

Therefore  we  made  signal  to  the  boat,  and  she 
bore  up  for  us,  heaving-to  on  our  weather-quarter, 
and  reporting  herself  as  a  Cowes  pilot-boat.  A 
pilot  was  requested  to  come  on  board  ;  but  how  he 
was  to  get  to  us  was  the  question.  No  small  boat 
could  live  in  that  sea,  and  the  vessels  could  only 
approach  each  other  within  hailing  distance.  The 
pilot-boat,  under  snug  sail,  kept  to  windward,  and 
hailed  us  to  "stand  by  and  throw  them  a  line." 
Having  made  his  arrangements,  he  bore  away  for 
us,  and,  luffing  up  under  our  quarter,  at  a  distance 
to  prevent  collision,  we  threw  the  rope,  and  it  was 
caught.  Ouf  vessel  was  lying-to,  with  the  main 
topsail  aback.     We  saw  an  old,  small-sized  man 


'  • 


i6 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


examine  the  rope,  and  then  make  it  fast  around  his 
body,  leaving  about  a  fathom  spare-end,  which  he 
made  fast  to  a  lanyard  of  a  tarpaulin  bag. 

"  Haul  in  the  slack,"  shouted  the  pilot ;  and  we 
did  so.  "  Stand  by  to  haul  in  handsomely  ;  "  and 
we  stood  by.  "  Haul  in,"  shouted  he  again,  at  the 
same  time  jumping  overboard.  We  hauled  in  as 
quickly  as  was  consistent  with  safety.  Sometimes 
he  was  on  top  of  a  sea,  and  the  next  moment  hid 
from  our  sight  behind  it ;  and  finally  we  safely 
hauled  him  and  his  bag  up  the  gangway.  The 
old  sea-dog  had  no  sooner  got  one  leg  over  the 
vessel's  rail  laan  he  squirted  the  salt-water  from 
his  mouth,  and  took  a  look  aloft.  "  Fill  away  the 
main  topsail  there.  Hard-up  your  helm,"  and 
walked  aft  to  trim  the  yards,  with  as  much  im- 
concern  as  if  he  had  stepped  on  board  from  a 
wharf. 

The  port  was  under  our  lee,  so,  with  square 
yards  and  a  reef  let  out  fore  and  aft,  we  were 
soon  spinning  towards  it ;  and  now,  being  at  leis- 
ure, we  looked  to  see  what  kind  of  a  fish  wc  had 
hauled  on  board.  He  was  an  old  man  of  over 
sixty  years,  and  said  he  had  three  sons  on  board 
his  craft,  who  were  all  branch-pilots.  In  reply  to 
Uncle  Toby's  question  why  one  of  them  had  not 
come,  he  said  "  they  were  stout,  heavy  men,  and 
not  so  easily  pulled  in." 

That  afternoon  we  anchored  at  Splthead,  and 
remained  there  about  two  weeks.  A  few  fresh 
provisions  were  laid  in,  and  the  schnapps  were  not 
forgotten.     Uncle  Toby  had  a  love  for  hot  toddy, 


IN  A    GALE. 


d  his 
ch  he 

k1  we 
'  and 
at  the 

in  as 
ctimes 
nt  hid 

safely 
The 
/er  the 
:r  from 
vay  the 
1,"  and 
Lich  iin- 

from  a 

square 

re  were 

at  leis- 

\vc  had 

of  over 

,n  board 

reply  to 

had  not 

ncn,  and 


ei 


iad,  and 
cw  fresh 
were  not 
ot  toddy. 


and  could  occasionally  take  it  cold ;  but  hot  in  the 
morning,  with  a  bit  of  toasted  biscuit  in  it,  which 
he  called  a  frog,  he  had  a  particular  weakness  for. 
To  do  him  justice,  I  do  not  remember  that  he  ever 
got  so  much  over  the  bay  as  to  be  noticed  for  it 
during  the  voyage. 

We  left  Spithead  with  a  fair  wind,  that  in  five 
days  ran  us  one-third  of  our  passage  ;  after  this, 
continual  heavy  gales  from  north-west  to  south-west 
kept  us  under  close  reefs  most  of  the  time,  and  very 
frequently  we  were  under  bare  poles.  For  twenty- 
five  days  we  did  not  make  as  many  miles  towards 
our  port.  In  fifty-six  days  from  Spithead  we  were 
up  with  the  Banks  of  Newfoundland,  and  in  thirty- 
two  days  after  struck  soundings  on  Georges.  From 
this  point,  thirty-four  hours'  fair  wind  would  have 
run  us  into  port ;  but  we  were  fated  otherwise. 
During  the  passage  thus  far,  there  had  repeatedly 
been  times  when  the  vessel  was  hove-to,  or  under 
very  small  canvas,  and  doing  nothing,  when  she 
should  have  been  under  a  press  of  sail,  and  making 
good  progress ;  but  she  was  not  attended  to  by 
those  in  command,  hence  the  length  of  the  passage, 
and  the  troubles  that  followed. 

We  were  now  on  our  coast,  in  midwinter ;  our 
sails  mostly  blown  away,  the  spars  crippled,  bul- 
warks and  stanchions  partly  gone,  the  stern-boat 
washed  away,  the  vessel  sprung  aleak.  We  were 
short  of  provisions  and  water,  and  the  ice  was 
making  over  the  vessel.  The  day  after  reaching 
soundings,  we  had  a  furious  gale  from  the  north- 
west, and  piercing  cold  weather.     While  lying-to 

2 


l1 


9B 


i8 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


T 


J 


if 


IV  "  • 


in  this  gale,  the  leak  increased.  During  the  night 
all  hands  were  at  the  pumps,  and  even  Uncle  Toby 
had  his  head  out  of  the  companion-way.  The 
storm  was  raging  fearfully  ;  the  poor  little  Corporal 
stasfsrerinor  under  a  close-reefed  main  topsail,  frc- 
quently  shipping  bad  seas,  and  groaning  at  every 
joint.  No  man  could  be  spared  off  deck.  I  was 
ordered  by  the  mate  to  "  take  a  lantern  and  go 
down  into  the  hold,  and  see  if  the  water  was  rising 
there."  Passing  through  the  cabin,  I  got  below, 
but  could  not  get  far  down,  as  some  of  the  water- 
casks  had  broken  loose,  and  many  other  articles 
were  travelling  from  side  to  side  in  a  dangerous 
manner.  I  could  hear  a  tremendous  commotion 
of  water,  but  could  not  tell  whether  it  was  inside 
or  out ;  what  with  the  clanging  of  both  pumps,  the 
noise  of  the  water  rising  between  the  timbers  at 
every  roll  of  the  vessel,  the  fury  of  the  gale  above, 
and  the  stamping  of  the  men  on  deck,  together  with 
the  peculiar  service  I  was  on,  I  was,  for  the  first 
time  during  the  voyage,  frightened,  sea-sick,  and 
sick  of  the  sea. 

After  the  vessel  was  freed  from  water,  the  mate 
went  into  the  cabin  to  consult  with  Uncle  Toby. 
The  result  was  that  she  was  put  before  the  wind, 
the  foresail  and  fore  topsail  were  set,  and  the 
Corporal  was  soon  marching  south,  with  a  quick 
step,  to  look  for  kinder  skies.  The  leak,  which 
was  mostly  in  the  upper  works,  decreased,  and 
we  had  to  pump  only  about  half  of  the  time  to 
keep  her  free.  We  supposed  the  object  in  running 
off  the  coast  was  to  get  into  the  warm  water  of  the 


A    CHANGE   OF  COURSE. 


:he  night 
cle  Toby 
V.      The 
Corporal 
3 sail,  Tre- 
at every 
k.     I  was 
1  and  go 
,vas  rising 
ot  below, 
he  water- 
IX  articles 
dangerous 
ommotion 
vas  inside 
)umps,  the 
limbers   at 
ale  above, 
ether  with 
r  the  first 
sick,  and 

the  mate 
icle  Toby. 
the  wind, 
and    the 
th  a  quick 
eak,  which 
ased,   and 
le  time  to 
in  running 
aterof  the 


Gulf,  to  clear  the  vessel  of  ice,  repair  damages,  and 
make  another  push  for  Boston  Bay  ;  but  we  reached 
the  thawing-out  place,  and  still,  with  all  sail  set, 
kept  steering  to  the  south-east.  The  crew  were 
wondering  what  the  old  man  was  up  to,  and  finally 
concluded  to  deputize  old  Jack  Day  to  go  aft  for 
information.  Uncle  Toby  very  kindly  informed 
the  people's  representative  that  he  was  nearly 
worn  out  by  hanging  on  the  coast  and  trying  to 
get  in,  and  had  concluded  to  bear  away  for  the 
West  Indies.  This  was  received  by  the  crew  with 
murmurs  of  discontent.  ''  Trying  to  hang  on," 
said  Abe  Low  ;  '•  the  truth  is  that  he  hangs  on 
to  the  gin-cask  so  long  that  all  his  trying  is  to  get 
into  his  berth."  "  We  can  get  into  Newport,  or 
New  York,"  said  another. 

The  general  feeling,  at  last,  was  that  of  pleasure : 
we  should  get  rid  of  the  winter ;  pay  was  going 
on,  and,  if  we  did  not  starve  before  we  got  in,  it 
was  all  right.  I  was  not  a  competent  judge  of  such 
matters  then  ;  but  have  since  been  convinced  that 
there  was  little  occasion  to  abandon  the  coast  as 
we  did.  But  to  the  same  lack  of  good  seamanship 
and  general  good  judgment,  which  was  responsible 
for  our  long  passage  thus  far,  this  unnecessary  and 
unwise  determination  must  be  attributed. 

After  passing  Bermuda,  and  before  reaching  the 
trade-winds,  we  Vvcre  becalmed  for  about  two 
weeks  in  the  "  Ilorse-latitudcs  "  ;  and  here  we  lay, 
day  after  day,  our  eyes  familiarized  to  the  same 
fields  of  Sargossa  weed,  through  which  we  could 
not  urge  our  way,  —  the  sails  hanging  idly  from 


i 


LI    : 


V  V' 


I 


iO 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


the  yards,  the  pitch  oozing  from  the  scams,  pro- 
visions growing  short,  and  the  fresh  water  becom- 
ing anything  but  fresh.  A  porpoise,  a  dolphin  or 
a  shark  would  have  been  a  God-send,  but  none 
came  near  us.  While  in  tliis  condition  it  was 
thought  best  to  muster  up  all  the  provisions  on 
board,  and  see  what  we  actually  had,  and  this  sug- 
gestion came  from  the  forecastle.  It  was  found 
that  we  had  one  barrel  of  good  bread,  one  ditto  of 
mouldy,  the  last  barrel  of  beef  was  on  broach,  and 
less  than  one  hundred  gallons  of  water  remained. 
It  was  determined  at  once  that  the  provisions  should 
be  equally  divided,  and  that  but  one  quart  of  water 
a  day  should  be  served  out  to  each  man.  In  the 
division  of  the  bread,  it  was  suggested  by  the  mate 
that  the  boy  should  have  one-third  less  than  the 
men,  and  my  Uncle  Toby  was  of  like  mind  ;  but, 
"  No,"  shouted  old  Jack  Day,  "  the  boy's  life  is 
as  dear  to  him  as  yours  is  to  you,  —  we'll  all  share 
alike";  and  we  did.  Each  one  had  his  little  bag 
of  good  bread,  the  same  of  bad,  to  do  with  as  he 
thought  proper. 

A  few  days  after  this,  we  took  a  light  breeze, 
which  fiinned  us  into  the  north-east  trades ;  we 
were  now  steering  well  to  the  eastward,  calculating 
to  get  into  the  latitude  of  the  Island  of  St.  Bartholo- 
mew, well  to  the  windward  of  it,  and  then  bear 
away  west.  Chronometers  were  not  common  in 
those  days.  A  plain  quadrant,  to  get  the  latitude  at 
noon,  was  the  only  nautical  instrument  on  board 
with  which  to  ascertain  our  position.  As  for  lunar 
distances,  no  one  on  board  knew  anything  about 


A 


J 


SHORT  OF   WATER. 


21 


lis,  pro- 
bccom- 

phiii  «r 
,it   none 

it  was 
iions  on 
his  sug- 
\s  found 

ditto  of 
ach,  and 
imained. 
IS  should 
of  water 
,     In  the 
the  mate 
than  the 
ind  ;  but, 
's  life   is 
all  share 
little  bag 
ith  as  he 

it  breeze, 
ides;    we 
alculating 
Ijurtholo- 
thcn  bear 
nimon  in 
atitude  at 
on  board 
for  lunar 
iing  about 


them,  consequently  our  longitude  was  pretty  much 
all  guess-work.  Of  course,  when  we  were  in  the 
latitude  of  the  island,  we  had  nothing  to  do  but 
steer  wc*t  (guessing  we  were  east  of  it),  and  keep 
a  good  look-out  for  land  ahead.  Uncle  Toby  and 
his  assistant  navigator  judged  we  were  fifty  miles 
to  the  east  of  the  island ;  after  running  that  dis- 
tance, no  land  was  to  be  seen  two  days  later ;  and 
when  we  had  run  over  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
after  bearing  away,  the  Island  'oomcd  up  before 
us.  When  we  had  made  the  land  the  water  allow- 
ance had  been  reduced  to  a  pint  a  day,  and  it  was 
with  difficulty  we  ^ould  use  up  that,  not  on  account 
of  the  quantity,  but  the  quality.  The  nose  had  to 
be  held  while  drinking'it,  and  it  would  rope  when 
held  up  with  the  thumb  and  finger. 

Since  that  voyage,  in  over  forty  years'  experience 
at  sea,  I  have  never  suffered  anything  from  hunger 
and  thirst  compared  with  my  suflerings  then.  How 
often  did  I,  in  my  dreams  at  night  during  that 
time,  imagine  myself  by  the  green  mossy  banks  of 
some  murmuring  brook,  with  its  clear,  cool  water 
leaping  from  the  little  falls,  and  gurgling  among 
the  dark  stones,  or  spreading  itself  into  thin,  clear 
sheets  over  a  gravelly  bottom  ;  how  I  lay  down  on 
the  bank  to  drink,  and  drank,  and  drank,  and 
drank,  but  remained  unsatisfied.  Then  I  was 
away  again  in  the  milk-room  of  t  '^  "  old  farm," 
where  I  had  spent  the  happiest  dr  /s  of  my  boy- 
hood,—  the  nicely-sanded  floor,  the  spotless  shelves, 
the  huge  pans  of  cool,  rich  milk  glistening  in  a 
row ;  how  I  seized  one  of  the  pans  and  hurriea  it 


22 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


i 


If . " 

I  ■  ' 


to  my  lips,  but  they  refused  to  be  satisfied ;  and 
soon  the  cry  of,  "  You  boy,  turn  out !  "  disturbed 
the  feast,  and  dissipated  the  dream.  The  remem- 
brance of  the  dreams  of  that  time  is  now  so 
strongly  impressed  upon  my  mind,  that  I  never  see 
a  running  brook  but  I  am  inclined  to  do  it  rever- 
ence ;  and  as  for  the  milk-pans,  the  cat  has  often 
been  condemned  for  depredations  in  disturbing  the 
cream,  which  might  be  safely  charged  to  my 
account. 

Kind  and  considerate  Uncle  Toby,  your  advice 
to  me  to  eat  up  my  mouldy  bread  first,  and  keep 
the  best  to  eat  last,  as  you  were  doing,  I  did  not 
heed.  My  motto  v/as,  eat  the  best  first,  and  then 
you  always  have  the  best ;  and,  to  prove  that  I  was 
right,  I  will  add  that,  when  we  reached  port,  I  had 
just  about  finished  my  good  bread  and  he  his 
mouldy.  About  a  week  before  our  arrival  we 
spoke  a  Dutch  brig,  bour.d  to  St*  Thomas,  which, 
at  first,  was  quite  cordial  to  us,  but  as  soon  as  she 
ascertained  we  were  in  want  she  hauled  her  wind 
and  left  us.  After  a  passage  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty-one  days,  we  approached  the  harbor  of 
St.  Bart.  We  hoisted  a  signal  of  distress,  and 
were  soon  boarded  by  some  half  dozen  boats  from 
the  American  vessels  in  port,  and  supplied  with 
everything  necessary  for  our  comfort.  Our  crew 
were  too  much  enfeebled  to  do  the  work  of  furling 
sails  and  mooring  shif),  and  were  not  allowed 
to  do  anything  by  our  kind  countrymen,  who  did 
not  leave  our  decks  so  long  as  they  could  find  any 
opportunity  of  helping  us. 


■i 


HOMEWARD  BOUND. 


f 


23 


:d ;  and 

sturbed 
remem- 
now  so 
ever  see 
t  rever- 
las  often 
Ding  the 
to    my 

r  advice 
nd  keep 

did  not 
md  then 
lat  I  was 
)it,  I  had 
I    he   his 
rival   we 
s,  which, 
on  as  she 
her  wind 
dred  und 
arbor   of 
ress,   and 
oats  from 
lied  with 
Dur  crew 
of  furling 
allowed 
,  who  did 

find  any 


Uncle  Toby  took  up  his  quarters  on  shore,  and 
left  everything  on  board  in  charge  of  the  mate.  A 
survey  was  held  on  the  vessel,  by  parties  appointed 
by  the  consul,  who  decided  that  the  vessel  must  be 
hove  out  for  repairs.  Accordingly  she  was  placed 
at  the  end  of  the  wharf,  the  ballast  put  out,  the 
sails  and  light  spars  were  landed,  —  stores  and 
provisions  there  were  none,  —  and  the  carpenter's 
gang,  with  our  crew,  got  all  ready  for  turning  the 
Corporal's  keel  up  for  inspection.  A  large  pur- 
chase-block was  lashed  to  the  mainmast  head,  and 
the  lower  block  secured  to  the  wharf.  A  stout 
fall-rope  led  to  the  crab  or  capstan  on  the  wharf, 
at  which  our  men  and  about  thirty  negroes  were 
heaving.  The  topmasts  were  kept  up,  and  the 
yards  were  "  cock-bill."  There  was  quite  a  num- 
ber of  spectators  on  the  wharf,  men,  women,  and 
children.  The  maots  were  gradually  descending 
over  their  heads,  as  the  keel  was  being  turned  up 
in  the  opposite  direction,  when  the  masts  snapped 
off  just  above  the  deck,  and  the  vessel  was  righted 
in  a  hurry.  This  was  a  cai'cless  and  expensive 
job,  but  the  worst  of  it  was,  a  poor  black  vyoman 
was  killed  by  the  frlling  mast;  the  blame  rested 
on  the  master  carpentsr,  who  had  the  sole  charge, 
and  who  had  to  put  in  a  new  mast  at  his  own 
expense. 

About  the  middle  of  April  theTepairs  were  all 
finished,  sails  and  rigging  put  in  good  order,  the 
vessel  painted  from  water-line  to  truck,  and  all 
ready  for  sea  ;  but  the  Captain  thought  best  to  hold 


r 


H 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


on   till  the  first  of  May,  when  all  fears  of  bad 
weather  on  the  coast  were  past. 

We  arrived  home  after  a  pleasant  passage  of 
eighteen  days,  having  been  nine  months  on  a  voy- 
age which  probably  could  have  been  accomplished 
in  five,  but  for  the  mistaken  economy  of  the  own- 
ers in  putting  a  cheap  captain  in  command.  The 
apathy  of  owners  and  underwriters  in  this  matter  is 
astonishing. 


■■B»^rH5SS^^BB««B^H^!H?^^H 


AGAIN  AFLOAT, 


25 


CHAPTER    III. 


AGAIN    AFLOAT. 


IN  September,  181 7,  I  sailed  from  Boston  in  the 
Pickerings  a  fine  large  brig,  bound  for  the  Pacific. 
Our  object  was  to  procure  a  cargo  of  fur  seal-skins 
for  the  Canton  market.  Our  captain  was  S.  B.  E., 
an  old  sealer  and  north-west  trader,  an  accom- 
plished seaman  and  navigator,  and  also  what  the 
sailors  would  call  a  "  Tartar."  We  were  fitted  out 
for  three  years.  The  ship's  company  consisted  of 
three  mates,  carpenter  and  cooper,  cook  and  stew- 
ard, and  eighteen  hands  before  the  mast,  of  whom 
only  four  shipped  for  able  seamen,  the  remainder 
being  green  hands.  I  was  the  only  boy.  We  had 
no  wages,  but  went  on  what  is  called  a  "  lay  voy- 
age" ;  that  is,  the  crew  were  to  have  a  certain  pro- 
portion of  the  net  proceeds  of  seal-skins  and  oil, 
and  the  earnings  of  the  ship  ;  my  lay  was  one  share 
in  one  hundred  and  eighty. 

The  plan  was  to  leave  gangs  of  men  on  different 
islands  where  fur  seal  and  sea  elephant  were  to 
be  found,  to  collect  the  fur  of  one  and  the  oil  of 
the  other.  While  these  collections  were  making, 
the  vessel  was  to  be  engaged  in  the  freighting  busi- 
ness wherever  it  was  to  be-  found.  For  collecting 
oil  we  had  on  board  several  hundred  casks,  and 

I 


26 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


m 


material  to  make  others  of,  and  an*  experienced 
cooper,  with  everything  needful  for  his  department. 
We  also  had  in  frame,  and  taken  apart,  a  schooner 
of  fifty  tons.  She  was  to  be  put  up  at  one  of  the 
islands,  to  be  employed  as  a  tender,  and  to  ply 
among  the  islands.  We  had  five  boats,  and  the 
usual  quantity  of  other  articles  for  prosecuting  such 
a  voyage.  Landsmen  who  were  stout  and  strong 
were  best  adapted  for  the  shore  business  of  killing 
elephant  and  seal,  hence  the  large  proportion  of 
green  hands.  These  were  expected  to  acquire  a 
knowledge  of  working  in  boats  before  reaching 
the  scene  of  operations,  and  would  also  learn  some- 
thing of  seamanship. 

I  was  in  the  last  boat  that  put  the  owner  on 
shore  just  before  sailing.  At  parting,  he  said  to 
us,  "  Boys,  3'ou'ye  got  everything  on  board  but 
cream  ;  that  you'll  get  off  Cape  Horn."  We  had 
been  at  sea  but  a  few  days,  during  which  all  hands 
had  been  kept  at  work  stowing  away  the  hemp 
cables  and  unstocking  anchors,  putting  on  chafing 
gear,  etc.,  when  the  rules  and  regulations  for  the 
voyage  were  written  by  the  Captain  and  posted 
in  the  forecastle  and  steerage  ;  also  the  scale  of 
allowance  of  provisions  to  be  served  out  to  the 
crew,  with  the  minutest  detail  of  everything  eatable 
and  drinkable  allowed  thcni.  The  bread  was 
served  out  every  Sunday  morning  —  six  pounds  to 
a  man.  Wc  took  our  bags  aft  and  received  sepa- 
rately all  the  bread  we  were  to  have  for  a  week. 
The  beef,  pork,  and  other  things  were  served  out 
each  day  as  they  occurred  on  the  bill  of  fare.     The 


■  "Vt'r '  '.T7\'~;*  '"y..rrr?'^' 


HARD  AT   work: 


27 


water,  one  gallon  a  man  per  day,  was  measured 
out  every  night  after  the  decks  were  cleared  up. 

In  choosing  watches,  the  second  mate  took  me 
into  his  watch.  Mr.  B.,  our  second  officer,  was  an 
excellent  man,  and,  next  to  the  Captain,  the  best 
seaman  on  board  ;  he  took  a  fancy  to  me,  and  was 
my  friend  so  long  as  we  were  together  (about  three 
years).  He  knew  how  to  carry  on  work  to  advan- 
tage, was  prompt  in  his  duty,  and  permitted  no 
idling  in  his  watch.  I  was  sent  to  the  wheel  at 
the  commencement  of  the  voyage,  and  allowed  to 
take  my  regular  trick,  while  stout  green  hands 
were  not  permitted  there.  In  short,  Mr.  B.  saw 
that  I  was  desirous  of  learning  a  sailor's  duty,  and 
he  was  determined  I  should.  There  was  a  great 
variety  of  work  to  be  done  on  the  passage  out  v/ith 
reference  to  the  wants  of  the  gangs  who  were  to 
be  left  on  the  islands,  so  that  all  hands  were  kept 
on  deck  every  afternoon,  and  sometimes  all  day ; 
watch  and  watch  only  being  allowed  us  at  night. 
The  captain  was  afraid  we  should  get  the  scurvy  if 
we  were  not  well  worked. 

The  work  we  did  not  mind,  but  we  were  not 
allowed  sufficient  food.  After  getting  well  over 
sea-sickness,  green  hands,  especially,  ate  all  the 
meat  at  dinner  which  was  intended  for  three  meals  ; 
consequently  for  supper  and  breakfast  they  had 
nothins:  but  tea  and  bread.  Sometimes  mush  was 
served  out  for  breakfast  instead  of  tea  and  coffee, 
and  on  those  da3's  we  got  along  very  well.  There 
was  no  occasion  for  short  commons,  as  there 
was   an   abundance   of  provisions  on  board.     We 


/. 


28 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


divided  ourselves  into  messes  of  six  persons  In  each  ; 
and  when  the  kid  of  beef,  or  pork,  or  whatever  it 
might  be,  was  brought  into  the  forecastle,  the  ca- 
terer of  each  mess  for  the  week  would  divide  it  into 
six  parts  ;  telling  one  of  the  others  to  turn  his  back 
to  the  grub,  and,  pointing  his  knife  to  one  portion 
of  it,  he  called  out,  "Who  shall  have  that?"  An 
individual  was  named,  and  so  it  was  all  allotted. 
There  was  not  always  fairness  in  this  :  for  instance, 
with  an  understanding  between  them,  the  caterer 
was  first  named,  and  then  the  caller,  for  the  first 
two  pieces,  which  were  always  the  best.  It  was 
some  time  before  this  arrangement  was  found  out ; 
but,  as  a  general  thing,  the  greenest  hands  got  the 
poorest  pieces. 

We  ran  to  the  eastward  until  we  took  a  heavy 
blow  from  that  quarter,  and  then  crossing  the  Gulf 
Stream,  made  good  progress  towards  the  Equator. 
We  experienced  a  heavy  gale  in  the  Gulf,  with  terrific 
thunder  and  lightning,  and  heavy  rain.  And  here 
we  were  exercised  pretty  severely  ;  in  the  night,  all 
hands  were  called  to  reef  topsails,  and  then  the  royal 
and  top-gallant  yards  had  to  be  sent  down.  Of 
course,  bungling  work  was  made  of  it.  This  was 
the  first  really  bad  w^eathcr  we  had  experienced. 
Some  of  the  fellows  were  sea-sick,  and  had  as  much 
as  they  could  do  to  hold  on  aloft  without  doing 
much  else.  I  could  rig,  or  send  down  a  royal  yard, 
before  I  went  to  sea ;  therefore  I  got  along  very 
well. 

After  a  long  job  of  it,  the  yards  were  got  down, 
the  rigging  all  taut,  and  coiled  up,  and  we  were  in 


PEGGING  A  WAT. 


29 


hopes  of  hearing  the  .order  "  go  below  the  watch," 
as  it  was  our  watch  below ;  but  no  such  good 
luck :  we  had  no  "  Uncle  Toby "  on  the  quarter- 
deck now.  The  Captain  was  not  satisfied  with  the 
way  the  work  was  done.  "Keep  them  up,  sir," 
said  he,  addressing  Mr.  Chapman,  the  chief  mate, 
"  and  let  them  strike  the  top-gallant  masts."  "Lar- 
board watch  up  forward,  and  starboard  watch  aft," 
was  the  order ;  so  up  aft  I  travelled,  with  the  only 
able  seaman  of  our  watch,  and  one  or  two  others. 
The  night  was  as  stormy  as  it  well  could  be :  it 
rained  in  torrents,  the  brig  was  under  double-reefed 
topsails,  the  incessant  thunder  and  lightning  was 
terrific,  and  the  darkness  between  the  flashes  seemed 
double-distilled.  We  rove  the  mast-rope,  cleared 
away  the  rigging,  and  sung  out,  "  Sway  away  ; " 
but  we  could  not  start  the  fid.  The  rascally  rig- 
gers in  Boston  had  driven  it  in  tight,  it  had  sv*^ollen 
from  being  wet,  and  we  were  about  two  hours  in 
getting  the  mast  down.  The  fellows  forward  were 
more  successful.  All  hands  were  on  deck  all  of 
that  night,  but  the  Captain  was  there  too,  so  no- 
body could  grumble. 

As  we  entered  the  north-east  trades,  the  weather 
became  fine.  All  hands  had  now  got  their  sea-legs 
on,  and  the  work  became  easier.  The  principal 
occupation  f<  i'  the  crew  was  making  seal-pegs.  It 
would  require  fourteen  pegs  to  each  skin  to  stretch 
it  out  on  the  ground  to  dry  ;  for  tliis  purpose  we 
had  on  board  a  great  many  ash  staves,  to  be  con- 
verted into  pegs  about  a  foot  long,  and  sharpened 
at  one  end  ;  so  for  about  a  month  all  hands,  in  the 


30 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


\ 


afternoon,  were  spread  about  the  forward  deck,  saw- 
ing, splitting,  and  sharpening  stickj.  This  whit- 
tling business  was  quite  agreeable,  but  we  were 
still  pinched  in  our  provisions. 

In  about  sixty  days  from  Boston,  we  made  the 
island  of  Trinadada,  oft'  the  Brazil  coast,  a  bar- 
ren, rocky  place,  without  inhabitants,  and-  with 
scarcely  any  vegetation  on  it.  As  our  Captain 
knew  that  sea-fowls  and  rock-fish  abounded  here,  a 
boat  was  sent  in  shore  in  the  afternoon,  while  the 
vessel  was  becalmed,  to  catch  fish.  She  returned 
after  dark,  with  a  fine  lot  of  fish,  and  reported  the 
wreck  of  a  vessel,  partly  burnt,  lying  on  shore. 
There  were  sails,  rigging,  etc.,  scattered  about  the 
rocks,  and  nobody  there ;  therefore  the  Captain 
concluded  to  lie  by  for  the  night,  and  send  the 
boats  on  shore  the  next  morning,  to  see  what  "  wee 
things  "  were  to  be  picked  up.  At  early  daybreak 
we  started  for  the  island,  then  about  three  miles 
distant,  with  two  boats.  I  was  in  the  chief  mate's 
boat,  to  which  I  had  been  appointed  some  time  be- 
fore ;  so  tha<-  when  the  larboard  quarter-boat  was 
lowered  away,  I  was  always  to  be  in  her.  The 
boats  had  always  been  lowered  when  it  was  calm, 
and  the  boat's  crews  exercised  at  the  oars.  This 
suited  me,  for  it  was  soon  found  that  I  pulled  as 
good  an  oar  as  any  one  on  board.  I  was  often  sent 
in  charge  of  the  boat,  to  teach  those  who  were  green 
at  the  business. 

During  the  night  we  had  joined  company  with 
the  whaling  ship  Coquette.,  of  London,  and  in  the 
morning  found  that  her  boats  were  pulling  in  after 


''.«7,"'-vT/--"-'^^  - 


7 ^T'Ti^  y~V''tT^r^V,'V~V't*-'. "^T^ 


THE    WRECK. 


31 


c,  saw- 
,  vvhit- 
;  were 


de  the 
a  bar- 
id'  with 
!!;aptam 
here,  a 
lile  the 
jturned 
•ted  the 

shore. 
lOut  the 
Japtain 
Mid  the 
t  "■  wee 
lybrcuk 
e  miles 

mate's 
ime  be- 
oat  was 
r.  The 
IS  cahn, 
This 

lied  as 


'ten  sent 


re  green 


ny  with 

I  in  the 

in  after 


us.  The  shores  were  rough  and  rocky,  and  the 
surf  was  breaking  heavily.  The  wreck  of  a  brig 
lay  at  the  water's  edge  in  a  small  cove  open  to  the 
swell,  and  where  a  boat  could  not  land,  but  a  pro- 
tection was  found  under  the  lee  of  ii  projecting 
point  of  rocks,  where,  by  watching  the  chance  be- 
tween the  rollers,  we  backed  in,  and  landed  some 
of  the  men  with  a  rope  to  make  fast  to  the  shore. 
One  of  the  boats  was  then  anchored  well  out,  and 
the  shore  line  hauled  taut.  The  other  boat  was 
hauled  off'  and  on  with  ease  and  safety.  I  was  left 
at  the  stationary  boat,  and  while  the  people  on 
shore  were  ripping  the  copper  from  the  wreck,  and 
getting  cargoes  ready  for  the  boats,  the  boat-keep- 
ers were  employed  in  fishing. 

The  wreck  appeared  to  be  that  of  a  brig  of  about 
two  hundred  tons ;  from  books  and  papers  found 
about  her,  it  was  evident  that  she  was  a  French  ves- 
sel. There  was  evidence  that  she  had  caught  fire 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  island,  and  that  the  crew  had 
remained  some  time  on  shore,  as  the  tents  con- 
structed from  the  spars  and  sails  still  remained, 
with  many  cooking  utensils,  and  quite  a  variety  of 
the  Vessel's  furniture,  much  broken.  The  shore 
abounded  with  quantities  of  cheap  toys,  trinkets, 
and  stuff",  which  appeared  to  have  been  intended 
for  native  trade,  on  the  coast  of  Africa.  Our  fel- 
lows, who  landed,  came  on  board  loaded  with  a 
variety  of  trinkets  of  little  value,  but  we  got  a 
supply  for  all  hands  of  pots  and  pans,  spoons, 
knives  and  forks,  and  lamps,  which,  though  much 
battei'ed,  served  a  good  purpose  during  our  voyage. 


32 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


i 


We  returned  on  board  in  the  afternoon,  both  boats 
deeply  laden  with  copper,  sails,  rigging,  and  fish  ; 
the  Coquette^s  boats  shared  about  the  same. 

One  of  the  crew  brought  on  board,  from  the 
island,  a  lady's  slipper,  which  he  found  in  one  of 
the  tents ;  it  was  a  beautifully  embroidered  article, 
of  delicate  shape  and  proportions,  and  was  totally 
different  in  character  iVom  the  other  things  that 
were  picked  up.  The  fellow  who  found  it  searched 
for  its  mate,  but  without  success.  We  called  it  the 
"  Cinderella  slipper,"  and  intended  to  have  it  hung 
up  in  the  forecastle  in  a  glass  case  (if  we  could  get 
one),  as  a  thing  to  be  held  in  reverence  ;  but  the  skip- 
per heard  of  its  marvellous  beauty,  and  demanded 
to  see  it,  and  of.  course  it  went  to  ornament  his 
room.  Our  common  eyes  never  looked  upon  this 
thing  of  beauty  again  ;  but  it  found  its  mate  in 
after  years,  and  I  will  digress  for  a  minute  to  tell 
how  and  where. 

Between  two  and  three  years  afterwards  our  ves- 
sel was  at  the  Isle  of  France  (Mauritius)  ;  the 
Captain  was  at  a  dinner-party  at  the  house  of  a 
French  merchant,  and  with  the  lady  of  the  house 
was  examining  her  collection  of  curios'ties,  when 
his  eyes  rested  on  a  slipper  lying  on  a  mantel, 
which  seemed  to  him  to  be  a  counterpart  of  the 
one  he  had  on  board.  He  said  as  much  to  the 
lady.  She  replied,  "  If  you  have  the  mate  to  that 
slipper  you  must  have  got  it  at  the  Island  of  Trin- 
idada,  for  I  lost  it  there  some  years  ago."  "  It 
was  there  I  found  it,"  said  the  Captain,  "  and  I 
should    be    happy  to   restore  it  to  its  owner."     It 


{ 


A    TALE  OF  A   SLIPPER. 


33 


th  boats 
id  fish ; 

om  the 
one  of 
article, 
<  totally 
i£s  that 
icarched 
;d  it  the 
it  hung 
ould  get 
the  skip- 
iiTianded 
nent  his 
pon  this 
mate   in 
;e  to  tell 


was  then  ascertained  that  the  lady  was  accompa- 
nying her  husband  on  a  trading  voyage  to  Mada- 
gascar ;  when  near  Trinidada,  the  vessel,  from  some 
cause,  took  fire,  which  they  could  not  extinguish; 
they  smothered  it  until  they  could  run  the  brio- 
ashore,  aud  landed  with  what  they  could  save. 
They  were  taken  ofi'  by  a  passing  vessel  a  few 
months  after,  and  brought  to  the  Isle  of  France, 
where  the  merchant  established  himself  in  business 
The  lady,  in  gathering  up  her  things  to  leave  the 
island,  lost  her  slipper,  which,  after  long  separa- 
tion, was  now  restored  to  its  mate. 


our  ves- 
js)  ;  the 
use  of  a 
he  house 
,es,  when 
I  mantel, 
rt  of  the 
ch  to  the 
ite  to  that 

of  Trin- 

TO."       "  It 

,  "and  I 
imer."     It 


^ 


34 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


In- 


CHAPTER    IV. 

INCIDENTS   OF  THE  VOYAGE. 

WE  soon  left  the  south-east  trade-winds,  and 
as  vvd  approached  the  Falkland  Islands,  the 
weather  was  getting  to  be  cold.  Our  allowance  of 
provisions  had  been  insufficient  in  warm  weather, 
and  was  less  satisfying  now,  as  we  needed  more 
food  to  withstand  the  cold  ;  the  allowance,  in  fact, 
was  really  less  than  heretofore.  We  now  had  but 
five  pounds  of  bread  a  week ;  onb  pound  had  been 
stopped,  and,  in  lieu  of  it,  one  potato  a  day  was 
served  out  to  each  man.  We  could  not  stand  this, 
and  chobC  a  man  from  each  mess  to  go  aft  and 
respectfully  ask  for  more.  The  C  aptain  called  the 
steward,  and  asked  him  "  if  bo  did  not  serve  out 
potatoes  to  the  people  every  day."  "  Yes,  sah,  I 
give  them  what  you  told  me  to,  —  one  potato  apiece 
every  day."  "  Well,  isn't  that  enough  for  you  ?  " 
asked  the  Captain  of  the  poor  fellows,  who,  with 
their  hats  in  their  hands,  and  not  much  in  their 
stomachs,  stood  before  the  well-fed  corporation  of 
our  autocrat.  "  No,  sir,  it  is  not  enough."  "  Then, 
steward,  give  them  half  a  potato  more  apiece,  and 

burst  the  b s,"  using  a  coarse  epithet.     We  had 

a  little  addition  to  the  quantity,  but  nobody  burst 
in  consequence. 


I 
J 


! 


^ 


mm^^^f^rw^^^mmwm^'^ffir 


MIKE   THE  BANKER, 


35 


nds,  and 
ands,  the 
vvance  of 
weather, 
ded  more 
e,  in  fact, 
V  had  but 
had  been 
1  day  was 
itand  this, 
o  aft  and 
called  the 
serve  out 
i''es,  sah,  I 
tato  apiece 
for  you?" 
who,  with 
h   in  their 
Doration  of 
"  Then, 
piece,  and 
,     We  had 
abody  burst 


>> 


a 


I  was  a  growing  boy,  blest  with  good  health,  and 
a  corrcspontling  appetite,  and  required  as  much,  if 
not  more,  food  than  a  man.  I  have  frequently 
taken  my  week's  allowance  of  bread  on  a  Sunday 
morning  and  linished  it  all  before  night;  others  did 
the  same. 

One  of  our  able  seamen  was  MikCj  an  old  English 
man-of-war's-man.  He  wa?  in  the  watch  to  which 
I  belonged,  and  I  think  he  was  a  good  sailor. 
When  he  came  on  board  in  Boston  he  brought 
witn  him  a  man-of-war's-man's  clolhes-bag,  contain- 
ing all  the  clothes  and  duds,  of  all  descriptions, 
which  the  fellow  owned,  and  now,  when  we  were 
three  months  out,  he  owned  the  best  chest  in  the 
forecastle,  well  filled  with  good  clothing ;  and  he 
had,  besides,  a  good  mattrass  and  bedding,  and 
the  best  stock  of  boots  and  shoes  on  board.  The 
Captain  had  any  quantity  of  slop  clothing,  tobacco, 
etc.,  that  a  sailor  is  likely  to  want.  The  store-room 
was  opened  on  Sunday  morning,  and  he  was  ready 
to  sell  us  at  sea  prices,  to  be  paid  at  the  end  of 
the  voyage ;  but  Mike  had  never  patronized  the 
Captain  to  the  amount  of  a  plug  of  tobacco.  Mike, 
the  man-of-war's-man,  ate  very  little  bread,  but  an 
immense  amount  of  tobacco,  and,  like  most  old 
sailors,  did  not  require  nearly  so  much  food  as  green 
hands  do  after  they  get  over  their  sickness  ;  so  that 
while  others  would  have  used  up  all  their  bread 
before  thj:  week  was  half  out,  Mike  would  have 
nearly  half  of  his  remaining  at  t\ie  end  of  the 
week,  and  what  he  had  over  he  was  willing  to 
lend  us,  who  were  always  "  short,"  provided,  at 


36 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


the  next  serving-out  day,  we  paid  him  at  the  rate 
of  two  biscuit  for  one,  —  heavy  interest,  to  be  sure, 
but  there  were  always  borrowers  enough  in  the 
market.  Well.,  Mike  set  up  banking  on  his  own 
account.  Business  was  brisk  with  him,  and  on 
serving-out  day  he  would  sometimes  have  paid  into 
his  bank  from  ten  to  fifteen  pounds  of  bread. 
Having  thus  secured  a  capital,  and  keeping  a 
number  of  bags  of  his  bread,  as  a  basis,  in  reserve, 
he  began  nov;  to  invest  his  weekly  income  in  some- 
thing that  could  not  be  eaten  up. 

We  were  all,  or  most  of  us,  in  debt  to  the  bank, 
which,  like  all  institutions  of  that  kind,  had  no 
mercy  for  its  debtors. 

"You  can't  pay  in  kind,  but  I  will  take  clothing, 
and  will  begin  with  a  chest  to  put  it  in,"  said  our 
"  Shylock."  So  one  poor  debtor  had  to  part  with 
a  chest  for  perhaps  a  dozen  biscuit ;  then  jackets, 
trousers,  flannel  shirts,  tobacco,  shoes,  etc.,  fol- 
lowed for  a  similar  consideration,  and  the  contents 
of  our  chests  and  bags  were  being  rapidly  trans- 
ferred to  Mike's,  at  ruinous  figures,  and  much  be- 
low the  home-cost.  Those  who  were  getting  short 
of  their  assets  could  draw  from  the  Captain's  slop- 
chest  to  meet  their  liabilities ;  and  on  we  wx*nt, 
being  ground  by  the  two  millstones  (the  Captain 
and  Mike),  and  trusting  to  luck  for  what  might 
turn  up.  Mike  was  bidding  fair  to  become  a  second 
Rothschild,  and  his  customers  were  almost  bank- 
rupt. One  morning,  when  it  was  blowing  hard, 
and  v/e  were  under  close-reefed  topsails,  and  pitch 
ing  into  a  head  sea,  I  was  at  the  wheel,  just  aftei 


f 


fc 
I 


P 
vvi 


'V-TT^  - 


BREAKING    THE  BANK. 


37 


he  rate 
)e  sure, 

in  the 
lis  own 
and  on 
aid  into 

bread. 
2ping   a 
reserve, 
in  some- 
he  bank, 

had  no 

clothing, 

said  our 

part  with 

jackets, 
etc.,  fol- 
;  contents 
dly  trans- 
much  be- 
lting short 
lun's  slop- 
we  went, 
ic  Captain 
hat  might 
e  a  second 
nost  bank- 
vnig  hard, 

and  pitch 
,  just  aftei 


dayhght,  when  it  was  discovered  that  the  lanyard 
of  one  of  the  bob-stays  had  parted.  The  watch 
were  busy  reeving  a  new  one.  It  was  just  finished, 
and  Mike  was  under  the  bowsprit  fastening  ofT  the 
end,  when  the  vessel  pitched  heavily  into  the  sea, 
and  Mike  was  washed  ofl'.  I  heard  the  cry,  "A 
man  overboard ! "  and  saw  men  rushing  to  throw 
him  ropes.  The  lee  main-brace  was  coiled  up  on 
a  pin  abreast  of  me,  and,  letthig  go  of  the  wheel, 
I  sprang  to  the  quarter,  caught  up  the  coil,  and, 
looking  over  the  side,  saw  the  man  abreast  of  the 
main  chains,  floating  along  aft,  apparently  uncon- 
scious, as  he  was  making  no  effort  to  save  himself. 
1  threw  the  coil  of  rope  upon  his  breast ;  but  he 
heeded  it  not,  and  sank  to  rise  no  more,  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  stern.  The  main-topsail  was  being 
backed,  and  the  helm  was  ordered  to  be  put  down  ; 
but  Mr.  B.,  the  second  mate,  saw  it  was  useless, 
and  the  vessel  was  kept  on  its  way. 

The  watch  below  were  not  disturbed,  and  knew 
nothing  of  the  event.  Before  it  v/as  time  for  my 
relief  from  the  wheel,  I  was  thinking  where  my 
breakfast  was  to  come  from.  Hunger  had  over- 
come my  grief  for  poor  Mike :  a  thought  flashed 
into  my  mind.  I  asked  the  officer  to  have  me 
relieved  from  the  wheel,  and  I  was  soon  in  the 
forecaP'.le,  overhauling  the  deposits  of  the  bank. 
I  had  opened  the  chest,  and  transferred  a  bag  of 
bread  to  my  own,  and  was  picking  out  the  articles 
of  clothinfj  which  belonged  to  me  and  had  been 
pled;;ed  as  collateral,  when  some  of  the  watch 
waked  up  and  asked  what  I  was  about.      I  told 


r  ft' 


38 


FORF  AND  AFT. 


them  that  Mike  had  gone  astern,  and  I  was  taking 
quiet  possession  of  what  belonged  to  me.  That 
was  enough  for  them  ;  their  berths  were  soon 
emptied,  and  so  was  Mike's  chest,  and  the  chest 
itself  appropriated  by  the  original  owner.  Thus 
Mike's  estate  was  promptly  settled  without  refer- 
ence to  the  courts,  and  the  heirs  were  all  satisfied. 
After  breakfast  (and  I  had  ,a  good  one),  the  cap- 
tain sent  the  mate  forward  to  have  the  dead  man's 
things  taken  aft ;  and  the  bag  that  the  poor  fellow 
brought  on  board  with  him  was  passed  up,  with 
but  a  Flemish  account  of  clothing  in  it.  I  do  not 
pretend  that  the  manner  of  appropriating  the  goods 
was  strictly  legal ;  but  then  justice  and  law  are 
often  at  variance  with  each  other,  and  in  the 
present  case  nobody  will  say  that  the  Captain  had 
as  much  right  to  the  property  in  question  as  we 
had.     So  ended  Mike,  the  man-of-war's-man. 

I  stated  in  a  previous  chapter  that  I  made  way 
with  a  week's  allowance  of  bread  on  the  day  it  was 
served  out.  This  needs  explanation  —  it  was  thus  : 
the  allowance  was  five  pounds,  about  half  of  which 
was  due,  and  had  to  be  paid  to  Mike  ;  the  remainder 
it  was  not  difficult  for  a  hungry  boy  to  put  under 
his  jacket  in  the  course  of  twenty-four  hours 
Well,  it  may  be  asked,  what  did  you  do  for  brcar* 
the  rest  of  the  week  ?  We  were  allowed  a  gill  of 
rum  a  day,  each  man,  which  was  served  out  at 
noon,  with  dinner.  At  that  time  this  article  was 
considered  an  indispensable  item  among  .sMp'.s 
stores;  but,  to  the  credit  of  our  crew,  tli jre  wci-', 
')ut  few,  excepting  the  old  tars,  that  drank  Uuiir 


I 


e 


-T^f^V'^'^^^'-r'^^^^  "' 


~  "^  ■^rr^^Tv" 


■j-Sfi'TC*«^^?^!^'.VW ','•' *i^  j»,  f^pTTs^,^^'!^* 


PRIGGING  A  PUDDING, 


39 


\  taking 
That 
•e    soon 
le  chest 
.     Thus 
at  refer- 
jatisfied. 
the  cap- 
id  man's 
Dr  fellow 
up,  with 

I  do  not 
he  goods 

law  are 
I  in  the 
)tain  had 
3n  as  we 
lan. 

ladc  way 
lay  it  was 
was  thus : 
•  of  which 
remainder 
put  under 
)ur   hours 
)  for  breafi 
;d  a  gill  of 
^ed  out  at 
article  was 
:)ng     ship's 
there  wci-''- 
Irank  their 


grog.  Our  merchant,  Mike,  took  all  the  grog  he 
could  get,  and  drank  it,  too.  I  am  not  sure  but 
that  had  something  to  do  with  his  falling  from  the 
bowsprit ;  however,  the  standing  price  for  a  gill  of 
rum  was  two  biscuit.  We  also  had  flour  duff  for 
dinner  two  days  in  a  week,  and,  as  on  tuose  days 
-vr^.  who  did  not  drink  could  generally  exchange 
c.;  vor  duff,  it  helped  us  out.  The  meat  for  the 
twenty-four  hours  was  only  sufficient  for  one  meal ; 
as  a  substitute  for  this,  we  used  the  slush  from  the 
cook's  barrel  so  freely,  to  eat  on  our  bread,  that  the 
salt  slush  had  to  be  locked  up  fi'om  us. 

It  chanced  that,  one  morning,  while  we  were  off 
Terra-dcl-Fuego,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  middle 
watch,  I  was  relieved  from  the  wheel,  and  on  my 
way  forward  sat  down  under  the  lee  of  the  galley. 
The  night  iiad  been  cold  and  wet,  and  we  had  been 
much  exc)'. iS!..;d ;  I  was  wet,  hungry,  and  tired,  and 
the  br-:..  i  ^p--  was  empty.  I  remembered  seeing 
the  ste\  'U:  '.  •  y^'^^  up  something  from  the  cabin  the 
previous  eve .  in";,  and  heard  him  tell  the  cook  to 
put  it  in  ti»^  o'  en  for  the  cabin  breakfast  next  morn- 
ing, and  I  made  up  my  mind  to  get  it,  if  I  could. 
"  Hunger,"  it  is  said,  "  will  break  througli  a  stone 
wall "  ;  and,  of  course,  it  was  no  great  job  for  me, 
with  a  marling-spike,  to  draw  a  staple  and  effect  an 
entr:u.c  :  to  the  cook's  galley.  This  1  did,  and  after 
jverhru,  ■  '  t'le  premises,  found  the  large  part  of  a 
pudding.  Tucking  my  prize  into  my  bosom,  be- 
tween my  shirt  and  jacket,  I  went,  unobserved  by 
any  one,  along  the  lee  side  of  the  deck  and  up  the 
lee  rigging  into  the  fore-top,  where  I  sat  dovn,  and 


n. 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


had  what  I  considered  a  glorious  tuck-oat,  without 
any  thought  or  care  as  to  how  the  bill  was  to  be 
footed.  Our  watch  went  below  at  four  o'clock,  and 
turned  in.  At  seven  bells,  the  watch  was  called  as 
usual,  but  with  ■>■!  unusual  addition  of  "All  hands 
muster  aft  on  tht  •  er-deck."  I  well  knew  what 
was  coming;  but  a  I  went  with  the  rest.  All 
hands  were  ordered  to  form  a  line  on  the  lee  side  ; 
the  old  man  was  pacing  up  and  down  the  quarter- 
deck, so  much  excited  that  it  was  evident  to  every 
one  that  the  subject  of  his  address  would  not  be  of 
a  peaceable  character.  "  Now,  you  scoundrels,'* 
he  began,  "  some  of  you  have  broken  into  the  gal- 
ley and  stolen  my  breakfast.  I  am  going  to  find 
out  who  it  was,  and  when  I  have  found  him  I  will 
flog  him  till  I  see  his  back-bone."  Then  he  put  the 
question  :  "  Was  it  you  ?  "  "  No,  sir."  "  You } " 
"  No,  sir."  *'  You  ?  "  "  No,"  and  proceeded  down 
the  line.  I  was  at  the  extreme  end,  purposely.  I 
did  not  know  but  somebody  might  say  "■  Yes,"  be- 
fore I  was  reached,  or,  if  not,  i,  being  only  a  boy, 
might  be  overlooked  ;  but  no  such  good  luck.  He 
came  to  me  with,  "  Was  it  you  ? "  On  the  first 
taking  of  the  question,  I  thought  it  best  to  vote 
with  the  majority,  and  did  so,  probably  to  see  what 
the  efiect  would  be.  "  So  you  all  deny  it,  do  you? 
You'll  get  no  breakfast  then.  The  matter  shall  be 
owned,  or  you  remain  as  you  are."  I  at  once 
stepped  out,  and  said,  "  All  hands  should  not  be 
punished  for  the  sin  of  one.  I  did  it.  I  stole  your 
pudding."  Tiie  Captain  grabbed  me  by  the  throat, 
and  shook  me.     ''  You  ?  you  young  scamp,  are  you 


t 


CRUISING  ABOUT. 


41 


without 
as  to  be 
ock,  and 
:alled  as 
.11  hands 
ew  what 
;st.     All 
lee  side ; 
quarter- 
to  every 
lot  be  of 
undrels," 
)  the  gal- 
f  to  find 
im  I  will 
le  put  the 
"You?" 
ded  down 
)0sely.     I 
Yes,"  be- 
ly  a  boy, 
lick.     He 
I  the  first 
t  to  vote 
see  what 
,  do  you  ? 
r  shall  be 
[   at  once 
Id  not  be 
stole  your 
he  throat, 
p,  are  you 


the  thief?"  *' 1  am  that  individual."  "Then  I 
shall  flog  you."  "  Well,  sir,  you'll  flog'  on  a  full 
stomach,  that's  some  comfort."  My  jacket  was 
pretty  well  dusted  with  the  rope's  end,  the  crew 
were  piped  to  breakfast,  and  that  was  the  end  of  it. 
And  here  I  will  say  that  this  was  the  only  time  I 
ever  received  a  blow  from  a  captain,  or  any  officer 
of  a  ship,  in  all  my  sea-life. 

It  was  not  long  after  this  that  a  pig  was  missing 
from  a  litter  that  was  fattening  for  cabin  use.  This, 
also,  was  charged  to  the  crew.  He  had  been 
thrown  overboard  for  revenge,  the  Captain  thought, 
and  all  hands  were  punished  for  it  by  being  kept 
on  deck  at  extra  work.  Some  we^ks  after,  the  pig 
was  found  dead  in  the  hold,  having  tumbled  dov/'ti 
the  hatchway.  I  know  of  no  other  reason  for  the 
crew  remaining  so  quiet  as  they  did  under  such 
treatment,  than  that  they  were  mostly  green  hands, 
and  afraid  of  the  Captain. 

After  rcconnoitering  about  the  Falkland  Islands, 
without  finding  seal  enough  to  warrant  us  in  leav- 
ing a  gang  there,  we  ran  over  to  Staten  Land,  and 
Terra  del  Fuego,  where  for  several  weeks  we  had 
some  very  hard  and  dangerous  boating  about  those 
shores,  without  bringing  the  vessel  to  anchor,  and 
finding  the  prospect  here  discouraging,  we  steered 
south,  for  the  South  Georgia  group  of  islands.  We 
hove  to,  oft'  Wallis's  Island,  landed  with  two  boats, 
and  procured  about  fifty  fur  seal-skins  and  a  quan- 
tity of  birds,  but  the  seal  not  being  very  numerous,  we 
steered  oft'  further  south  for  Sandwich  Land,  which 
was  considered  at  that  time  the  southern  Thule. 


•m 


if 


i'M 

,<i* 


M 


,.^K 


'4m 


% 


42 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


After  some  weeks  of  hard  buffeting  with  gales  of 
wind,  amidst  icebergs  and  cold  weather,  we  ap- 
proached near  enough  to  the  islands  to  see  that  they 
were  covered  with  snow  and  ice  from  the  mountain 
tops  to  th6  water's  edge  ;  we  could  not  make  a 
landing  here,  on  account  of  the  ice,  and  quitting 
this  forbidding-looking  place,  we  ran  to  the  east- 
ward, and  brought  up  next  at  Gough's  Island. 
Here  some  seal  and  sea-elephant  were  found,  but 
not  enough  to  induce  us  to  remain  there  long. 
Continuing  to  the  eastward,  we  next  called  at  the 
south  island  of  Prince  Edward's.  Here  the  pros- 
pect of  obtaining  what  we  were  in  search  of  was 
much  better,  but  we  continued  on  farther  east  to 
the  Crozett  Islands,  and  finally  came  to  anchor 
in  Christmas  Harbor,  at  the  Island  of  Desolation. 
After  leaving  the  South  Georgia  group  we  had  a 
long  run  to  the  eastward,  had  crossed  the  meridian, 
and  were  in  about  70  degrees  east  longitude  ;  the 
Captain,  after  taking  a  lunar  distance,  and  working  it 
up  one  evening,  when  we  were  running  with  a  fair, 
strong  breeze,  told  us  to  look  out  for  a  small,  high 
island,  right  ahead,  called  "  Blijh's  Cap."  "  At  10 
P.M.  you  will  see  it,  if  my  reckoning  is  right." 
Within  five  minutes  after  ten,  the  look-out  aloft 
sung  out,  "  Land  ahead  I  "  The  old  man's  reckon- 
ing was  right ;  for,  as  I  have  said  before,  he  was  an 
excellent  seaman  and  navigator. 

The  next  day  we  were  at  the  entrance  of  Christ- 
mas Harbor,  and  it  took  us  all  of  one  day  to  beat 
up  to  our  anchorage.  It  was,  in  fact,  a  deep  bay, 
with  bold  shores  on  each  side,  so  that  we  could 


I 


% 


BLOWN  OUT  TO   SEA. 


45 


gales  of 
we   ap- 

that  they 

mountain 
make  a 
quitting 

tlie  east- 
s  Island, 
jund,  but 

re  long, 
ed  at  the 

the  pros- 
:h  of  was 
:r  east  to 
0  anchor 
esolation. 
Ive  had  a 
meridian, 
tude  ;  the 
vorkingit 
ith  a  fair, 
lall,  high 

"  At  lo 
is  right." 
■out  aloft 
s  reckon- 
e  was  an 

>f  Christ- 
y  to  beat 
leep  bay, 
NQ  could 


stand  close  in.  Throughout  the  day  it  was  blow- 
ing hard,  with  strong  squalls  directly  out,  therefore 
we  had  a  dead  beat  to  windward.  I  was  kept  at 
the  wheel  most  of  the  time,  which  was  rather  te- 
dious;  but  as  the  Captain  was  pleased  with  my 
steering,  and  spoke  many  words  of  kindness  and 
encouragement,  I  was  proud  to  be  there.  The 
next  three  or  four  days  we  were  engaged  in  the 
boats,  looking  round  to  see  what  chance  there 
was  to  pick  up  a  cargo.  We  did  not  find  many 
seal,  but  sea-elephant  were  plenty,  and  the  Cap- 
tain concluded  to  leave  a  gang  here,  and  build  our 
schooner  as  a  "  tender,"  to  hunt  among  the  islands 
of  the  group.  It  was  blowing  hard  every  day, 
with  white  squalls ;  but  the  water  was  smooth,  so 
that  the  boats  could  be  out  and  work  along  the 
shores.  We  soon  obtained  a  bountiful  supply  of 
birds  and  fish,  and  fared  pretty  well  for  provisions. 
There  was  an  inner  harbor,  into  which  we  intended 
to  warp  the  vessel,  land  the  material  with  a  car- 
penter and  a  gang  of  men,  and  then  return  to 
Prince  Edward's  to  leave  another  gang  there.  This 
v/as  the  plan  then  decided  upon  by  the  Captain,  as 
he  graciously  informed  us ;  but  on  the  morning  of 
the  fourth  day  it  was  blowing  a  furious  gale, 
with  white  squalls,  right  out  of  the  harbor ;  and 
although  it  was  quite  smooth,  the  vessel  made  snug, 
and  yards  pointed  to  the  wind,  the  anchor  started, 
and  the  vessel  dragged  out  to  sea  with  a  heavy 
anchor  down,  and  ninety  fathom  of  chain  attached 
to  it.  We  did  not  get  the  anchor  to  the  bow  till 
after  dark  the  following  day.     The  Captain  then 


m 

■i     il 


Ml 


"1 


44 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


concluded  to  abandon  Desolation,  and  return  to 
Prince  Edward's,  where  the  prospect  was  better 
for  our  business  than  any  place  we  had  been  at. 

While  lying  at  Christmas  Harbor,  I  took  a  pretty 
cold  bath,  and  came  near  losing  the  number  of  my 
mess.  We  had  returned  to  the  vessel  about  dark 
with  our  boat,  and  were  hoisting  her  up.  I  had 
remained  in  the  boat  to  hook  her  on ;  she  was 
nearly  up,  and  I  was  stooping  down  to  take  out 
the  plug  from  the  bottom  to  let  the  water  out,  wlien 
the  stern  tackle  fall  parted,  and  the  end  of  the  boat 
fell  into  the  water,  pitching  me  overboard.  The 
tide  was  running  very  strong,  and  swept  me  astern. 
The  water  was  cold,  the  thermometer  being  just 
above  zero  ;  I  was  thickly  clad,  and  with  heavy 
boots  on  I  could  not  begin  to  stem  the  current,  al- 
though a  good  swimmer.  Therefore  my  only  effort 
was  to  keep  above  water  until  a  boat  could  reach 
me.  This  I  found  a  difficult  task.  I  was  chilled 
through,  and  about  sinking,  when  the  bow-man 
grabbed  me,  and  hauled  me  into  the  boat.  On 
this  occasion  the  Captain  treated  me  with  the  ut- 
most kindness.  I  was  taken  into  the  cabin  and 
well  cared  fori 


«. 


MT  ISLAND  HOME. 


45 


return  to 
vas  better 
been  at. 
ik  a  pretty 
ber  of  my 
bout  dark 
p.     I  bad 

she  was 
3  take  out 
out,  when 
)f  the  boat 
ard.  The 
me  astern, 
being  just 
.'ith  heavy 
current,  al- 
only  effort 
)uld  reach 
as  chilled 
bow-man 
boat.  On 
th  the  ut- 
cabin  and 


CHAPTER  V. 


MY   ISLAND   HOME. 


WE  arrived  at  Prince  Edward's  Island  again, 
in  due  time,  and  as  it  became  my  home  for 
over  two  years,  I  will  give  some  description  of  it. 

Desolation  was  an  appropriate  name  for  the 
island  we  had  been  driven  from,  and  it  would  an- 
swer equally  well  for  Prince  Edward's.  Indeed, 
the  advantage  was  on  the  side  of  the  former,  as  it 
contained  a  good  harbor,  while  the  latter  afforded 
not  even  safe  anchorage.  There  are  two  islands 
here,  about  fifteen  miles  apart,  lying  nearly  north 
and  south  from  each  other,  and  in  about  latitude  47 
degrees  south  and  longitude  37  degrees  east.  The 
south  island  is  the  largest,  being  about  thirty  miles 
in  circumference,  extending  its  greatest  length  north 
and  south.  Near  the  middle,  and  running  through 
its  entire  length,  is  a  range  of  uneven,  ragged 
mountains,  destitute  of  vegetation,  and  covered 
with  perpetual  snows. 

The  mountains  on  the  western  part  approach 
near  to  the  sen,  terminating  in  precipices  ;  while 
on  the  south-west  side  there  is  a  gentle  ascent  from 
the  shore  to  the  foot  of  the  mountains.  There  are 
many  deep  gulches  and  streams  of  water,  termi- 
nating on  sand  beaches  at  the  shore,  with  level 
spots  in  the  rear,  which,  during  certain  seasons, 


m 


m 


46 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


arc  literally  covered  with  immense  collections  of 
penguins,  which,  in  the  time  of  breeding,  spread 
over  hundreds  of  acres  so  thickly,  that  one  cannot 
pass  through  without  first  opening  a  road  by  knock- 
ing them  over  with  clubs. 

The  beaches,  and,  for  half  a  mile  from  the  shore, 
the  outlets  of  the  valleys,  contain  great  numbers  of 
sea-elephant.  The  fur-seal,  formerly  very  numer- 
ous, were  now  much  thinned  off;  millions  upon 
millions  of  aquatic  birds  burrowed  in  the  banks ; 
geese  and  albatross  were  scattered  in  all  directions 
over  the  low  lands,  bordering  tl:e  shore ;  the  clifls 
and  beaches  were  alive  with  flocks  of  large,  white 
pigeons.  There  was  also  a  large  brown  bird,  whicli 
is  called  by  sailors  "  Peemow,"  which  we  found  to 
be  a  troublesome  customer ;  also,  a  large,  gray, 
filthy  sea-bird,  which  we  named  the  "  Blubber- 
Dragger,"  a  kind  of  sea-vulture.  The  habits  of  all 
these  birds  are  carnivorous.  There  was  neither 
tree,  bush,  nor  shrubbery  of  any  kind  on  the 
island ;  all  the  vegetation  it  produced  was  a 
stunted  grass,  in  the  valleys,  and  a  kind  of  skunk- 
cabbage  and  tussock  on  the  sheltered  banks. 

The  island  had  the  appearance  of  volcanic  ori- 
gin ;  at  a  distance  of  two  hundred  yards  from  the 
shore  it  was  encircled  by  a  broad  belt  of  long  grass, 
or  kelp,  which  grew  in  deep  water,  attached  to  the 
rocks  at  the  bottom  ;  some  of  this  was  as  large  as 
a  man's  arm,  and  fifty  or  sixty  feet  long;  there  was 
not  the  least  shelter  for  a  vessel  to  anchor  in  with 
safety,  consequently  we  had  to  keep  under  weigh 
while  landing  the  material  to  be  left  for  the  gang. 


the 

wi 

^  ^ 

qu 

wli 

an( 

A 

as 

. 

shi 

\ 

'1 
1 

d 

PREPARING  FOR    WORK. 


47 


jctlous  of 

ig,   spread 

)ne  cannot 

by  knock- 

thc  shore, 
iniil)ers  of 
ry  numcr- 
ions  upon 
he  banks; 
directions 

the  cliiTs 
•ge,  white 
ird,  which 
;  found  to 
rgc,  gray, 
'  Blubber- 
ibits  of  all 
js  neither 
d  on  the 
id  was  a 
of  skunk- 
inks, 
canic   ori- 

from  the 
ong  grass, 
hed  to  the 
s  large  as 
there  was 
or  in  with 
der  weigh 
the  gang. 


The  whole  appearance  of  the  place  was  forbidding 
in  the  extreme. 

The  land  animals  were  a  few  live  hogs  which 
were  propagated  from  a  couple  left  there  by 
our  Captain  on  a  former  voyage,  and  the  whole 
island  was  infested  with  common  house-mice,  which 
had  also  been  introduced  from  some  sailing  vessel, 
probably  with  the  stores  of  the  gang;  and  they  had 
multiplied  until  their  name  was  legion.  They 
thickly  populated  the  beaches,  and  inhabited  the 
caves  ;  they  burrowed  with  the  birds  in  the  banks,  and 
were  found  among  the  snows  of  the  moiuitains. 
Of  fish  there  was  not  much  variety,  and  only  one 
kind  of  which  we  coidd  obtain  any  considerable 
quantity.  This  was  a  species  with  head  and  horns, 
somewhat  resembling  our  American  sculpin,  and 
was  good  eating.  These,  with  cockles  and  muscles, 
were  about  all  we  found  in  the  way  offish. 

Having  pitched  upon  a  spot  on  which  to  set  up 
our  works,  we  commenced  boiting  the  casks  on 
shore,  —  which,  for  snug  stowage,  had  all  been 
shocked  and  packed  in  bundles, —  wooden  and 
iron  hoops,  heading,  etc.,  try-pots  and  coolers,  and, 
in  short,  all  the  material  for  sealing  and  oiling.  As 
the  weather  was  quite  tempestuous  (a  gale  of 
wind  blowing  about  one-third  of  the  time),  it  was 
quite  slow  work.  There  being  no  anchorage 
where  we  could  hold  on  with  the  cables  and 
anchors  we  had,  it  was  necessary  to  keep  the  vessel 
as  close  to  the  landing-places  as  possible,  and  work 
sharp  with  the  boats  while  the  weather  would  per- 


m 


f 
%' 


48 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


mit,  as  the  vessel  could  not  long  retain  her  posi- 
tion in  shore.  She  would  frequently  be  driven  ofT 
to  sea,  and  sometimes  three  or  four  days  would 
elapse  before  she  would  get  back  and  resume 
operations.  While  the  vessel  was  thus  absent  from 
the  islands,  and  out  of  sight,  there  was  always  a 
boat's  crew  left  on  shore.  The  first  mate,  Mr. 
Chapman,  was  the  officer  who  was  to  be  left  in 
charge  of  the  gang,  therefore  his  boat  and  crew 
were  the  ones  that  remained.  I  belonged  to  his 
boat,  and,  of  course,  was  on  terra  Jirma  while  the 
landing  was  going  on',  but  it  was  not  decided,  or 
known  to  us,  who  the  gang  were  fnially  to  be.  We 
were  short  of  "grub  "on  board;  while  on  shore 
we  could  cook  and  eat  to  our  heart's  content. 

About  the  first  time  we  landed  on  this  island,  at 
our  first  visit,  it  was  at  early  morning,  and  with 
two  boats  ;  the  object  of  the  visit  being  to  hunt  wild 
hogs  in  the  mountains.  We  had  left  the  brig  by 
daylight,  three  or  four  miles  distant  from  the  land. 
The  boats  were  hauled  up  on  the  beach,  and  I  was  left 
alone  to  take  care  of  them,  and  also  to  cook  break- 
fast,  and  have  it  ready  for  the  party  on  their  return  ; 
for  this  purpose  we  had  cooking  utensils  belonging 
to  the  boat,  also  tinder-box,  matches,  and  a  little 
kindling  stuff,  which  were  always  secured  in  a  tar- 
paulin bag.  About  the  beach  where  we  landed, 
and  on  the  rocks  in  the  vicinity,  were  probably  forty 
or  fifty  sea-elephant  lying  in  groups,  regardless  of 
our  presence.  The  mate  ordered  ine  to  "  kill  an 
elephant,  take  off  his  blubber,  and  make  a  fire,  using 


■I 
"J 


I 


4 


1 


1 


SEEING   THE  ELEPHANT. 


49 


her  posi- 
riven  ofT 
^'S  would 
[  resume 
sent  from 

I 

always  a 
late,  Mr. 
be   left  ill 
\n<\   crew 
ed  to  his 
while  the 
ccideJ,  or 
I  be.     We 
on  shore 
ent. 

island,  at 
and  with 
hunt  wild 
le  brig  by 
the  land. 
I  was  left 
3ok  break- 
ir  return ; 
belonging 
nd  a  little 
d  in  a  tar- 
^e  landed, 
bably  forty 
ardless  of 
o  "  kill  an 
fire,  using 


J 


the  blubber  for  fuel,  and  then  take  out  his  tongue, 
heart,  and  liver,  and  fry  them  in  oil,"  which  of  course 
was  to  be  obtained  from  the  blubber.  Receiving 
instructions  how  to  kill  the  "critter"  with  a  lance, 
I  was  left  alone  to  get  a  breakfast  for  ten  men.  I 
knew  nothing  of  the  habits  of  the  elephant, 
had  never  seen  one  killed,  and  there  I  was,  with  a 
lance  two  feet  long  on  a  pole-staff  of  four  feet,  a 
seal-club,  a  butcher's  knife  and  steel,  with  orders 
to  l<^ill,  butcher,  and  cook  one  of  those  enormous 
bf  the  smallest  of  which  looked  as  if  he  could 

di^j,  ,oO  of  me  at  '^  meal.  After  the  boats'  crews 
were  out  of  sight  I  took  a  survey  of  the  amphibious 
monsters,  and  selecting  the  smallest  one,  commenced 
the  battle  according  to  orders.  When  I  hit  him  a 
rap  on  the  nose  he  reared  upon  his  flippers,  opened 
his  mouth,  and  bellowed  furiously.  This  gave  me 
a  chance  at  his  breast ;  plunging  my  lance  into  it 
in  the  direction  of  where  I  thought  his  heart  ought 
to  be,  I  sent  the  iron  in  "  socket  deep."  This  was 
all  right  so  far,  but  I  was  not  quick  enough  in  draw- 
ing it  out  again,  and  stepping  back.  He  grabbed 
the  lance  by  tlie  shank  with  his  teeth,  and  drawing 
it  from  the  wound,  gave  it  a  rapid  whisking  I'ound  ; 
the  end  of  the  pole  hit  me  a  rap  on  the  head,  and  sent 
me  sprawling.  I  picked  myself  up,  and  with  a  sore 
head  took  a  survey  of  the  enemy ;  he  had  not  re- 
treated, but  retained  his  partly  erect  position,  bleed- 
ing and  bellowing,  while  his  companions  in  the 
virinity  joined  in  the  roar,  but  without  moving  ofl', 
or  attacking  me. 

The  brute  chewed  and  twisted  up  the  lance,  so 

4. 


m-' 


50 


FOJiE  AND  AFT. 


that  it  was  of  no  farther  use  to  me,  and  the  wound 
did  not  seem  to  aflect  liim  much,  although  he  bled 
freely.  What  was  to  be  done  next?  "Kill,  make 
a  lire,  and  cook,"  said  the  mate,  as  if  the  order  had 
been  given  to  the  cook  on  board  ship,  and  the  ma- 
terials were  all  ready  at  bis  hands.  Well,  tliere 
was  the  fuel,  and  the  food  all  alive  before  me,  and 
unless  I  could  transfer  it  to  the  fire  and  the  frying-pan, 
I  should  get  no  breakfast, —  that  was  certaiti, —  and 
I  might  get  another  clip  in  the  head  from  the  mate, 
if  I  had  nothing  cooked  for  him  on  his  return.  My 
next  resort  was  to  the  seal-club.  With  this  I  man- 
aged to  beat  the  poor  creature's  eyes  out,  and  then, 
fastening  my  knife  on  the  pole,  I  lanced  him  until 
he  was  dead;  pounding  him  on  tl.e  head  with  a 
heavy  club,  with  an  iron  ring  on  the  end,  produced 
about  as  much  eflect  on  him  as  it  would  have  done 
on  the  rock  of  Gibraltar.  The  animal  was  about 
nine  feet  long,  as  large  round  as  a  bullock,  and  he 
was  the  smallest  of  the  lot.  I  killed  scores  after- 
wards with  ease,  but  my  first  lesson  was  a  hard 
one.  Taking  a  strip  of  blubber  from  his  back,  I 
proceeded  to  make  a  fire  upon  the  rocks.  With 
the  chip  kindlings  it  was  soon  started;  and  small 
strips  of  blubber  being  laid  on  at  first,  and  then 
larger  ones,  a  good  fire  was  quickly  under  way,  and 
the  frying-pan  filled  with  huge  slices  frying  out. 
The  elephant  was  lymg  on  his  belly,  and  had  to  be. 
turned,  to  get  at  what  1  wanted  to  cook;  buc  I 
could  not  turn  him  without  ci'.ctin<j'  Ifim  in  two. 
After  nuich  labor  this  was  ctlccted,  and  the  tongue, 
which  was  about  ten  pounds  in  weight,  and  a  por- 


A  SEAL   HUNT. 


51 


wound 
le  bled 
,  make 
Icr  had 

he  ma- 
1,  tliere 
ne,  and 
iig-pan, 
—  and 
e  mate, 
n.     My 

I  man- 
id  then, 
im  until 
I  with  a 
roduccd 
ive  done 
X6  about 
,  and  he 
es  aftcr- 
5  a  hard 

back,  I 
5.  With 
lul  small 
uid  then 
way, and 

ing  out. 
iiad  to  be. 
k ;  buc  I 
i  in  two. 
e  ton'j;ue, 


tion  of  the  liver,  were  got  ready  for  the  pan.  The 
first  panful  was  well  fried,  and  invested  und^r  my 
own  jacket,  and  a  glorious  feast  of  fat  things  it 
was ;  then  pan  after  painful  v^  as  got  ready  for  my 
expected  company,  and  when  they  amved  they  sat 
down  to  a  meal  to  which  ample  justice  was  done. 
The  party  had  run  down,  k'lled,  and  skinned  a  hog, 
and  cutting  the  meat  into  pieces  which  they  could 
handle,  broi.-ht  it  to  the  boats. 

In  about  a  month  from  our  arrival,  everything 
was  landed,  and  the  vessel  was  leady  to  leave.  I 
expected  to  stay  in  the  vessel,  and  a  list  was  made 
out  of  those  ^ 'ho  were  to  remain  on  the  island, 
with  the  chief  mate,  but  a  sad  event  befell  us,  which 
changed  the  whole  programme. 

At  one  time  when  the  brig  was  blown  off,  and 
Mr.  C.  and  the  boat's  crew  remained  on  shore,  we 
had  been  occupied  in  putting  things  to  rights,  and 
occasionally,  when  the  weather  permitted,  in  ex- 
ploring the  shores  with  our  boat  in  pursuit  of  seal. 
The  mate  was  a  stout,  large-framed  man,  about 
forty-five  years  old,  weighing  about  two  hundred 
and  twenty  pounds,  and  of  line  proportions,  daring 
and  reckless,  but  of  more  courage  than  judgmes.i. 
On  one  of  these  excursions  we  came  to  a  beach, 
compos'xl  of  large  stones,  on  which  come  twenty 
seal  were  lying.  Tlie  surf  was  too  heavy  to  beach 
the  1  oat ;  therefore  we  were  ordered  by  the  mate 
to  back  in,  so  that  he  could  jump  out  and  kill  the 
seal,  while  we  sliould  keep  outside  the  surf  and  be 
ready  to  take  him  off  with  the  seal-skins,  when  he 
got  them    readv.     In  pursuance  of  this  plan,   we 


52 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


watc'ied  a  chance,  and,  backing  in  the  boat,  he 
jumped  out,  while  we  pulled  off  to  await  his  move- 
ments. Just  above  where  the  mate  jumped  on 
shore,  there  was  lying,  with  his  head  towards  the 
boat,  and  watching  the  intruders  with  apparent 
unconcern,  an  old  "  whig"  seal,  /.  <?.,  a  male  seal. 
On  landing,  the  .mate  happened  to  step  on  a  slip- 
pery stone,  and  on  turning  round  to  give  us  some 
orders  in  the  boat,  he  slipped  and  fell  on  his  back. 
At  that  instant  the  old  whig  leaped  towards  the 
fallen  officer,  seized  him  by  the  middle,  and  hold- 
ing him  up  (with  as  much  ease  as  a  cat  would  a 
mouse)  made  for  the  water.  Plunging  througli  the 
surf,  and  coming  to  the  surface  outside  of  the 
rollers,  he  swam  about  with  him,  occasionally  giv- 
ing him  a  shake  and  pushing  him  under  water,  as 
if  in  frolic,  while  we  pulled  after  them.  It  was 
evident  the  mate  could  not  stand  such  sport  a  great 
while,  but  the  seal's  hold  was  only  on  the  clothing, 
and  that  giving  way,  left  the  animal  with  a  mouth- 
fu)  if  cloth,  and  the  mate  was  at  liberty.  We 
pir.kcd  the  man  up  uninjifi'ed,  but  furious,  and  the 
seal,  after  a  while,  returned  to  the  shore,  crawled 
up,  and  laying  his  head  down,  went  to  sleep. 

Af»"jr  repairing  damages,  the  mate  sang  out  "  Back 
in  again,"  and,  returning  to  the  charge,  with  a 
single  rap  with  his  club  over  the  nose  he  left  the 
old  whig  straightened  out.  In.  two  minutes  more, 
he  was  minus  his  jacket.  We  succecdcil  in  getting 
the  mate  off  again,  with  about  twenty  skins.  This 
little  affair  was  but  the  prelude  to  a  sad  accident 
which  befell  us  the  very  next  day,  occasioning  the 


OUR  HOUSE. 


53 


it,  he 
Tiove- 
ii\  on 
Is  the 
parent 
e  seal, 
a  slip- 
5  some 

back, 
ds  the 

hold- 
'OLikl  a 
ifjh  the 
of  the 
ily  giv- 
atcr,  as 
It  was 
a  great 
othing, 
mouth- 
y.  We 
iind  the 
:ra\vlcd 

P- 
"  Back 

witli   a 

left  the 

;s  more, 

getting 
i.  This 
accident 
iiing  the 


loss  of  the  mate  and  two  of  the  boat's  crew,  and  two 
boats.  Before  detailing  this  sad  event,  I  will  give 
some  description  of  the  locality  where  we  had 
established  our  head-quarter'^. 

On  the  south-east  side  of  the  island,  which  was 
also  the  lee  side,  as  the  prevalent  winds  were  from 
west  to  north-west,  was  a  snug  little  cove  formed  by 
a  ledge  of  high,  flat  rocks  projecting  about  three 
hundred  feet  from  the  beach  on  one  side,  and  on 
the  other  a  high  bank  terminating  in  a  bluil'  point 
tov/ards  the  sea,  extending  some  distance  beyond 
the  rocks,  leaving  a  fme  pebbly  beach  between  the 
points  where  the  water  was  generally  smooth  ;  it 
was  a  semicircle,  with  a  broad  margin  of  beach  all 
around,  with  a  perpendicular  bank  in  the  rear  about 
two  hundred  feet  hiijh.  Above  this  bank  there  ^ 
a  gentle  slope  of  some  miles  towards  the  mom - 
tains.  In  the  front  of  the  bank  facing  the  cove  and 
sea  was  a  large  cave,  the  top  of  which  was  about 
a  hundred  feet  below  the  surface,  the  depth  about 
seventy  or  eighty  feet  in  the  centre  of  the  front,  a 
hundred  and  sixty  feet  wide  at  the  entrance,  extend- 
ing back  from  the  face  of  the  bank  about  ninety  or 
a  hundred  feet.  It  was  nearly  a  regular  arch. 
The  walls  and  roof  were  of  dark  sandstone,  partly 
firm  and  compact,  and  partly  of  a  friable  character  ; 
small  fragments  of  stone  were  frequently  detached 
by  falling  rains,  which  composed  a  flooring  of 
coarse  gravel,  with  a  slant  towards  the  sea. 
Building  up  a  stone  breastwork  in  front,  we  lev- 
elled oft'  a  good  flooring,  and  had  room  to  put  up 
a  hut  on  one  side  for  the  mate  and  cooper  ;  on  the 


1., 

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V 


54 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


other,  a  hut  for  the  boat's  crew  ;  between  the  two, 
and  against  the  back  of  the  cave,  w«as  the  store- 
room. In  front  of  all,  and  extending  to  the  edge 
of  the  breastwork,  a  plank  platform  was  laid  down 
for  the  cooper  to  work  on.  The  cook's  galley  was 
established  on  one  side,  adjoining  the  men's  hut  be- 
low the  wall ;  in  front,  we  had  set  in  brickwork  two 
large  try-kettles  and  a  large  cooler,  with  all  the  appro- 
priate fixtures  for  cutting  up  and  trying  out  blubber. 
The  huts  were  framed  of  wood,  covered  wit'i  dried 
and  well-cleaned  skins  of  young  elephants,  with 
doors,  windows  and  berths  arranged  ship  fashion, 
having  room  for  the  table,  chests,  etc.  The  cave 
being  quite  open  in  front,  the  sun  shone  into  the 
back  part  of  it  for  about  six  hours  of  the  day  in 
summer,  and  two  hours  less  in  winter,  so  that  we 
had  good  light,  with  a  fair  proportion  of  sunshine, 
and  could  make  ourselves  quite  comfortable  in  any 
weather.  On  one  side  we  had  a  pathway  con- 
structed, leading  up  the  bank  to  the  level  surface 
over  the  cave  ;  alongside  of  thi.^  pathway  was  an 
ever-rushing  fall  of  excellent  water.  This  was  the 
only  place  on  the  island  combining  so  many  favor- 
able features  for  our  bublncs*;.  and,  very  fortu- 
nately, it  was  located  just  where  we  wanted  it. 

At  the  time  of  the  mate's  tussle  with  the  seal,  the 
vessel  was  blown  oil',  rnd  out  of  sight,  and  we  did 
not  think  she  could  get  back  for  a  number  of  days. 
There  were  on  shore,  besides  the  mate  and  four  of 
us,  composing  the  boat's  crew,  Bob,  the  cooper's 
mate,  who  was  at  work  on  the  casks,  and  Joe,  a 
yellow  fellow,  who  was  officiating  as  cook.     On  the 


LEFT  ASHORE. 


S^ 


morning  of  the  day  ii*  question,  we  —  that  is,  the 
boat's  crew  —  after  breakfast,  went  down  to  the 
beach,  hiunched  the  boat  as  usual,  and  were  seated 
in  her,  waiting  for  the  mate.  We  were  bound  on 
a  trip  after  seal :  the  wind  was  blowing  hard  ofT  the 
land,  but  it  was  smooth  water,  under  the  lee  of  the 
island,  and  we  were  anticipating  a  good  hunt. 
When  the  mate  made  his  appearance,  Joe,  the 
cook,  came  with  him.  I  was  ordered  to  remain  at 
the  cave  and  do  the  cooking  for  that  day,  Joe  taking 
my  pi  ice  in  the  boat.  Up  to  that  time,  this  boat 
had  never  been  manned,  or  put  upon  duty,  when  I 
was  not  in  her  ;  mine  was  the  after  oar,  the  one  of 
honor  in  the  boat.  I  felt  a  pride  in  it,  and  felt  hurt 
at  the  change,  but  it  was  no  use  to  say  a  word, 
therefore  I  obeyed  in  silence.  In  about  an  hour 
alter  the  boat  left,  having  got  the  dinner  in  a  fair 
way,  T  went  up  on  the  bank,  over  the  cave,  to  see  if 
the  brig  was  in  sight.  No  vessel  was  to  be  seen  ; 
but,  looking  up  along  shore,  I  saw  a  bo  a,  bottom 
up,  with  a  man  on  her,  holding  on  to  the  reck  kelp, 
about  half  a  mile  from  the  cave.  I  concljded,  at 
once,  that  our  boat  had  been  capsized,  and  that  all 
were  drowned  but  that  one.  By  good  luck,  the 
stern  boat  of  the  brig  had  been  left  on  die  island 
when  she  was  last  blown  olf.  It  was  the  lirst  time 
a  spare  boat  had  been  left  on  shore  over  night. 
This  boat  was  a  heavy,  square  stern  "jolly  boat," 
and  she  lay,  bottom  up,  at  the  back  part  of  the 
beach.  I  hastened  down,  and  telling  Fob  of  the  state 
of  ailairs,  we  decided  at  once  to  launch  this  boat, 
and  save  our  shipmate.     After  much  exertion,  we 


St 

if 


* 


56 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


got  the  boat  into  the  water,  and  then  found  there 
was  not  a  single  Ci^  to  be  had.  Bob  was  a  fat, 
chmisy  fellow,  green  as  green  could  be  in  all  that 
related  to  ships  or  boats,  and,  consequently,  about  as 
awkward  on  a  boat  as  a  cow  would  be  on  the  ice. 
Picking  up  some  strips  of  board  for  paddles,  we 
shoved  off;  the  wind  was  blowing  very  strong  from 
the  land,  therefore  we  had  no  trouble  in  getting  to 
the  man,  but  how  we  were  to  get  back  was  for  after 
consideration.  This  lone  man  we  found  to  be  Dex- 
ter, one  of  the  green  hands,  and  the  only  one  of 
the  boat's  crew  that  could  not  swim.  After  taking 
him  off,  Dexter  said  that  some  oars  had  drifted  oti' 
to  leeward,  which  belonged  to  the  capsized  boat,  so 
we  paddled  otl'  to  get  them,  as  we  could  not  reach 
the  shore  again  with  our  paddles,  against  the  strong 
wind  then  blowuig.  In  order  to  do  this,  we  had  to 
leave  the  safe  moorings  of  the  kelp ;  although  we 
were  not  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  it  when  we 
reached  the  oars,  it  took  us  two  hours  to  get  back. 
Making  fast  to  the  kelp,  we  concluded  to  hold  on 
there  until  it  moderated,  before  we  attempted  to  put 
to  the  shore.  While  lying  here,  Dexter  gave  the 
following  account  of  the  accident : 

Pulling  along  shore,  they  were  passing  a  sunken 
reef  on  which  the  sea  was  occasionally  breaking; 
the  mate  thought  he  could  cross  it,  between  the 
rollers,  but  was  caught  by  the  breakers ;  the  first 
one  threw  the  oars  from  the  outer  row-locks,  and 
washed  them  away ;  the  second  breaker  capsized 
the  boat.  She  then  drifted  to  the  kelp,  with  all 
but  one  of  the  crew  hanging  to  her.     Poor  Tom 


A  FATAL   DISASTER. 


57 


Allen  was  drowned  under  the  boat.  After  getting 
to  the  kelp,  where  they  could  hold  on  and  prevent 
drifthig  farther  out,  they  attempted  to  rigiit  the 
boat,  but  did  not  succeed.  The  shore  was  only 
about  two  hundred  yards  distant,  but  it  was  pre- 
cipitous and  rocky,  with  a  sea  breaking  furiously 
against  the  cliHs.  The  mate  asked  if  they  could 
all  swim.  All  answered  "  Yes,"  but  Dexter. 
''  Then,"  says  he,  "  follow  me  for  the  shore  —  we  can 
easily  reach  it ;  but.  Dexter,  you  hold  on  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  boat."  Accordingly  the  latter  hauled 
some  long  kelp  on  to  the  boat,  and,  while  holding 
on  there,  was  an  observant  wittiess  of  the  fate  of 
the  others.  The  mate  was  the  first  one  to  reach 
the  shore  ;  he  was  carried  in  on  the  top  of  a  high 
wave,  dashed  against  the  rocks,  and  again  carried 
off  by  a  refluent  wave.  He  was  now  joined,  out- 
side of  the  breakers,  by  the  other  two  ;  watching  a 
fiivorablc  opportunity,  they  all  three  went  in  again 
towards  the  shore,  on  the  same  wave.  The  mate 
was  thrown  part  way  up  the  clitV,  and  held  on  for 
a  few  minutes,  but  the  next  sea  took  him  off  again. 
He  soon  gave  up,  and  sank.  Joe,  my  substitute, 
was  dashed  against  a  cliff,  a  little  higher  up  than 
the  mate,  and  was  probably  killed,  as  he  was  not 
seen  again  after  falling  back  into  the  water.  The 
other  one,  Topham,  was  thrown  just  over  clear  of 
the  top,  and  was  landed  where  he  could  hold  on, 
if  alive,  but,  as  Dexter  did  not  see  him  move  away, 
he  thought  he  was  also  killed. 

We  hoped  the  wind  would  lull  before  dark,  but 
as  there  .was  a  prospect  of  its  blowing  harder,  after 


i  I 


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mi 

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S8 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


we  had  rested  we  let  go  our  moorings,  and  pulled 
for  the  shore.  We  could  not  get  back  to  the  cove 
from  which  we  started,  and  found  we  must  beach 
the  boat  on  a  place  where  the  shore  was  rocky  and 
the  surf  bad  ;  we  put  her  head  for  the  shore,  and 
went  in  on  top  of  a  roller.  The  first  one  left  us 
just  short  of  the  rocks ;  the  second  wave  broke  as 
it  struck  the  boat  square  in  the  stern  ;  the  boat  was 
thrown  completely  over  end  on  to  the  rocks,  and 
we  were  scattered  in  various  directions,  but  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  clear,  with  little  injury.  The 
undertow  took  the  boat  olf,  and  used  her  up  in 
the  breakers.  Thankful  for  our  narrow  escape,  we 
went  to  see  what  had  become  of  Topham.  After 
much  search,  we  found  him  in  a  gully  in  the  rocks, 
lying  down,  some  distance  from  where  he  landed, 
much  bruised,  and  not  whollv  conscious  of  what 
had  taken  place.  We  helped  him  to  the  cave, 
stripped  and  rubbed  him,  and  put  him  to  bed, 
where,  after  a  few  hours'  sound  sleep,  he  was 
quite  restored.  Dexter  escaped  whole,  but  terribly 
frightened.  We  made  a  diligent  search  for  the 
bodies  for  many  days  afterwards,  but  without  suc- 
cess;  they  were  probably  taken  by  the  "killers," 
a  large,  ravenous  fish  that  are  the  terror  of  the 
elephant  and  seal,  and  also  of  the  whale,  which 
they  sometimes  destroy  ;  hence  their  name. 

On  the  return  of  the  vessel  the  landing  of  the 
balance  of  the  stores  and  equipments  was  com- 
pleted, and  now  the  party  to  be  left  were  named. 
I  was  on  the  list,  and  as  my  favorite  officer  and 
good  friend,  Mr.  Burnham,  was  to  command  the 


SAILING   OF   THE  BRIG. 


59 


party,  I  was  not  sorry  to  go  with  him.  Another 
inducement  was,  that  on  shore  we  should  have 
plenty  to  eat  and  drink,  while  those  who  remained 
on  board  had  no  prospect  of  any  improvement  in 
that  respect.  At  length  we  took  leave  of  our  ship- 
mates on  board,  the  vessel  filled  away  on  her  course 
to  the  Isle  of  France,  and  we  returned  to  commence 
our  "Robinson  Crusoe"  life  on  a  desert  and  deso- 
late island. 


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60 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


now   WE    LIVED. 


OUR  party  consisted  of  eight  persons  —  the  ex- 
ecutive officer,  Mr.  B.,  the  cooper  and  his 
mate,  four  others,  composing  the  boat's  crew,  and 
myself,  who  was  cook,  steward,  anil  Governor's 
Secretary.  In  iny  last  capacity  I  had  to  keep  the 
general-record  of  events  that  transpired,  noting  the 
wind  and  weather  each  day,  how  all  hands  were 
occupied,  the  number  of  animals  killed,  the  gal- 
lons of  oil  tried  out,  etc.,  and  was  required  to 
write  up  the  log  every  evening.  I  also  had  my 
quarters  in  the  officers'  hut,  while  the  others  had 
their  own  hut,  and  messed  together. 

The  Captain  said  he  would  return  for  us  in  nine 
months,  when  he  hoped  we  would  have  a  cargo 
ready  for  him.  Ship-stores  were  left  us  for  one 
year,  at  the  same  rate  of  allowance  we  had  on  ship- 
board, excepting  meat;  that  we  were  to  provide 
ourselves,  and  this  was  no  very  difficult  job,  as  we 
had  an  immense  poultry  yartl  close  at  hand,  and 
had  only  to  choose  between  albatross,  solan  geese, 
pigeons,  peemow,  gony,  ground-l)irds  in  great  va- 
riety, and  penguins  of  four  kinds.  Elephants' 
tongues  and  young  seal  were  also  very  good  eating. 

During  the  season  of  eggs,  we  could  have  loaded 
a  ship  with  them  ;  and,  by  putting  them  in  oil,  could 


in  nine 


PEEMOW  PERSECUTORS. 


6i 


preserve  them  until  the  next  season  of  fresh  ones. 
A  musket  and  ammunition  were  left  us,  but  we 
had  no  occasion  to  use  them,  as  the  birds  were 
taken  by  hand,  or  knocked  over  with  clubs  ;  "  their 
tameness  was  shockinj:^  to  me."  To  illustrate  tiiis  : 
I  was  with  a  party  one  day  on  a  liog-hunt ;  wher- 
ever we  went,  we  were  attended  by  Hocks  of  pco 
mows  soaring  over  our  heads,  screeching,  and 
occasionally  darting  at  us,  striking  with  their  vviuijs. 
Being  birds  of  prey,  we  supposed  they  thought  that 
we  were  about  to  furnish  food  for  them  in  some 
shape  or  other,  and  were  eager  for  the  feast ;  yet  I 
could  not  imagine  why  they  selected  me  to  pitch 
into  above  the  others.  Although  I  killed  manv  of 
them  with  m}-  club,  I  had  hard  work  to  keep  them 
oir,  getting  severe  slaps  about  my  head  from  their 
wings,  while  they  scarcely  troubled  the  others ; 
but  the  mystery  was  solved  by  one  of  the  thieves 
making  a  pounce  at  my  head,  and  flying  away  with* 
my  cap  in  his  claws.  My  cap  was  new,  of  a  bright 
red  color,  and  they  probably  took  it  to  be  a  piece 
of  bloody  meat ;  hence  their  partiality  for  me. 
However,  they  all  took  their  departure  with  my 
cap,  and  as  long  as  we  could  see  them  they  were 
stealing  the  prize  from  each  other,  and  finally  dis- 
appeared with  it  in  the  direction  of  the  mountains. 
Having  lost  all  my  notes  by  shipwreck,  after 
leaving  the  island,  1  am  unable  to  give  any  dates, 
and  must  trust  to  recollection.  We  had  been  but  a 
short  time  on  shore,  when  our  duties  were  well  de- 
tincd,  and  the  work  went  on  with  regular  ship 
discipline.     All  hands  were  called  at  daylight ;  the 


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62 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


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cooper  and  his  mate  went  to  their  particular  work, 
the  boat's  crew  ground  their  knives  and  huices,  and 
made  the  boat  ready  to  start  after  breakfast,  to  get  a 
load  of  blubber,  and  what  seal-skins  they  could  fmd. 
Mr.  B.  was  always  in  charge  of  the  boat ;  I,  hav- 
ing charge  of  the  store-room  and  galley,  had  to  be 
up  first,  to  get  breakfast  ready.  We  had  no  night- 
watch  to  keep,  and  we  had  a  reprieve  from  the 
calls  to  "  reef  topsails,  or  tack  ship,"  of  dark,  cold, 
stormy  nights.  The  change,  at  first,  was  quite 
pleasant. 

The  eastern  side  of  the  .'sland  afibrded  such 
numbers  of  elephants,  that  for  the  first  six  months 
we  had  to  go  but  a  short  distance  from  our  rendez- 
vous to  load  the  boat.  Sometimes,  when  the 
weather  was  good,  two  or  three  trips  a  day  could 
be  made,  with  the  boat  filled  to  the  thwarts  with 
blubber.  When  the  weather  did  not  permit  boat- 
ing, the  crew  were  employed  in  cutting  up  and  try- 
ing out  at  the  rate  of  from  four  to  five  hundred 
gallons  per  day.  In  stormy  weather,  or  when  a 
heavy  surf  wj(s  running,  so  that  the  boat.couM  not 
be  launched,  the  work  was  prosecuted  by  bringing 
the  blubber  from  where  it  was  to  be  had  to  our 
try-works,  the  men  cutting  it  into  long  strips, 
each  one  as  much  as  a  person  could  carry.  This 
was  laid  across  the  shoulders  as  a  lady  wears  her 
tippet,  the  ends  hanging  in  front,  just  clearing  the 
ground  ;  the  skin,  of  course,  was  next  to  the  person, 
with  a  couple  of  slits  in  front  for  the  hands ;  thus 
the  transportation,  for  a  mile  or  two,  was  not  very 
hard. 


SBA-ELBPHANTS. 


63 


The  sea-elephant  were  classed  by  us  as  bulls, 
cows,  and  calves.  The  largest  of  the  former  were 
from  twelve  to  eighteen  feet  in  length,  and  ten  to  thir- 
teen in  circumference  ;  in  general  appearance,  they 
were  very  similar  to  the  hair-seal  about  our  coast, 
only  much  nj..^nified.  They  had  large  heads,  which 
bore  no  other  resemblance  to  a  land  elephant,  than  in 
having  a  considerable  trunk,  or  nozzle,  hanging  over 
the  moutli.  The  cows  were  about  half  as  large. 
There  were  two  seasons  when  the  cows  came  on 
shore  very  fat,  their  blubber  being  from  six  to  nine 
inches  thick.  One  of  the  seasons  wai.  when  they 
landed  to  br]v'  forth  their  young,  at  this  time 
they  remained  from  two  to  three  months;  and 
again  when  they  came  on  shore  to  shed  their  hair, 
when  they  remained  some  time  longer.  They 
would  then  crawl  back  into  the  valleys,  at  a  con- 
siderable distance  from  the  shore.  Selecting  a 
wallowing  place,  they  would  lie  there  for  two  or 
three  months,  without  moving  their  length,  living 
on  the  exuberance  of  their  fat.  During  this  time, 
the  old  coat  of  hair  would  give  place  to  a  new  one, 
and  the  animals  would  be  reduced  to  skeletons, 
when  they  would  worry  down  to  the  beach,  and 
put  out  to  sea.  These  animals  were  not  difficult  to 
kill,  being  very  clumsy,  and  slow  of  motion.  The 
method  was  to  approach  them  in  front,  with  a 
rap  on  the  nose,  to  make  them  rise  up  on  their  flip- 
pers, then  to  lance  them  a  few  times  through  the 
heart;  they  arc  very  full-blooded,  and  would  some- 
times be  half  an  lu)ur  in  dving,  with  a  number  of 
lance-holes  through  the  heart.     The  blubber  was 


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64 


FOJ?E  AND  AFT. 


taken  off  in  wide  strips  from  head  to  foot,  the 
tongue  taken  out,  and  the  carcass  left  for  the  birds, 
who  would  clean  and  polish  the  bones  in  a  few 
days ;  the  animal  would  aveiage  over  half  a  barrel 
of  oil,  some  of  tliem  yielding  two. 

The  fur-seal  are  a  diiVerent  animal ;  of  the 
average  size  of  a  large  Newfoundland  dog,  they 
have  a  thick,  rich,  beautiful  fur,  about  an  inch  long, 
of  a  light  brown  color,  covered  with  a  coat  cf 
shiny  black  hair,  or  silver  gray;  they  have  a  head 
resembling  that  of  a  grayhound,  are  very  rapid  in 
the  water,  can  leap  their  length  on  shore,  and-make 
their  wa  over  slippery  rocks  faster  than  a  man 
can.  They  come  on  shore  for  the  same  purposes 
as  the  elephant.  We  killed  them  with  clubs.  A 
single  blow  across  the  nose  is  suiiicient  to  bring 
down  the  largest,  when  they  are  finished  with  the 
touch  of  a  knife  under  the  Hipper;  the  knjfe  is 
then  passed  round  the  head  and  Hippers,  anci  the 
skin  being  slit  from  head  to  tail,  in  front,  it  is  taken 
off  with  much  ease.  When  taken  to  our  rendez- 
vous, the  skins  were  beamed  with  a  currier's  knifcj 
and  stretched  out  on  the  grourd  in  proper  shape  to 
dry,  fourteen  pegs  being  put  in  eac!    skin. 

Every  day  of  the  week,  except  Sunday,  without 
regard  10  w<;at!ier,  was  occupied  in  pursuing  tiie 
objects  Gi"  the  voyage.  Sometimes  the  work  was 
very  hard,  especially  in  the  boa\  ;  bui,  upon  the 
whole,  not  more  so  than  on  shipl)oard,  and  then 
we  had  all  nigljt  to  sleep  and  rest  in,  and  plenty 
to  eat. 

On  the  Sabbiith  no  work  was  called  for,  evcept 


was 

clo 


SUffDAT   WORK. 


65 


before  breakfast ;  our  oftlcer  was  too  good  a  dis- 
ciplinarian not  to  find  a  substitute  for  washing 
decks  (the  usual  Suiiday  morning  job  on  boaid 
ship),  so  there  was  always  oil  to  fill,  skins  to  be 
pegged  out,  or  turned,  or,  in  the  absence  of  any- 
t':ing  else,  all  hands  were  called  to  sec  the  sun  rise. 
Something  must  be  attended  to  on  Sunday  before 
breakfast,  to  quiet  the  conscience  of  the  mate  ;  but 
after  the  meal,  the  hands  having  been  mustered  for 
inspection,  in  clean  clothing,  no  r>ther  duty  was  re- 
quired for  the  day,  unless  there  should  be  some  one 
who  failed  to  pass  muster  by  lack  of  cleanliness  in 
person,  or  clothing;  in  that  case,  the  delinquent 
was  packed  off  to  bring  In  an  extra  load  of  blub- 
ber on  his  back  before  he  could  have  his  dinner. 
Poor  Bob,  the  cooper's  mate,  how  many  of  these 
Sunday  morning  trips  you  had  to  make  before  you 
learned  to  make  the  right  application  of  soap  and 
water!  We  were  not  without  books,  and  the  day 
was  usually  spent  in  washing,  and  mending  our 
clothes,  and  reading.  Making  moccasins  was  another 
job  which  had  to  be  attended  to  that  day.  We  found 
that  common  boots  and  shoes  v/ere  entirely  unfit  for 
our  shore-work,  but  that  moccasins  made  of  green 
hide  of  the  seal  or  elephant,  were  just  the  thing. 
We  fust  cut  a  piece  of  fresh  green  skin  oblong  and 
oval,  the  size  of  the  foot,  with  a  suitable  margin  to 
punch  holes  in  all  around  the  edge;  a  string  was 
then  rove  In  the  holes,  and  the  skin  dravvn  up 
snugly  over  the  foot,  with  the  hair  inside;  with 
tiiese  we  used  dried  grass  instead  of  stockings,  thus 
keeping  our  feet  very  comfortable.     Whenever,  in 


66 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


W)\ 


i 


■]l\\ 


m 


r  i;  I 


travelling,  our  feet  becaine  wet  and  cold,  we  had 
only  to  ilnd  a  bunch  of  dried  grass,  and  were  all 
right  again ;  or  when  a  hole  was  worn  in  our  moc- 
casins, the  nearest  elej^hant  furnished  a  pair,  and  it 
took  but  a  few  moments  to  transfer  them  from  his 
neck  to  our  feet. 

In  my  capacity  as  cook  and  caterer,  I  was  not 
much  conlined  to  head-quarters,  as  I  had  not  only 
to  cook  the  meat,  but  also  to  furnisli  most  of  it. 
Tliree  or  four  afternoons  in  the  week,  after  having 
done  up  the  work  about  the  galley  and  having  set 
things  to  rights  in  the  oflicers'  hut,  like  a  good 
housekeeper,  I  would  go  on  my  hunt  for  'neat,  to 
serve  for  the  next  day  or  two.  JVIy  equipments 
were  a  seal-club  on  my  shoulder,  and  a  sealing- 
knife  in  a  sheatii  buckled  to  my  waist,  a  strap  of 
which  was  rove  through  a  ring  on  the  handle  of  a 
butcher's  steel,  which  hung  by  my  side  ready  for 
use.  Having  decided  what  game  to  take,  I  had 
only  to  proceed  to  our  poultry-yard,  where  I  felt 
sure  it  was  to  be  found.  If  it  was  to  be  albatross, 
they  were  to  be  found  sitting  about  on  the  most 
level  and  grassy  places ;  they  would  seldom  rise, 
or  try  to  get  away  ;  therefore,  to  knock  down  as 
many  as  were  wanted,  rip  the  skin  open,  cut  otf 
the  breasts  and  thighs  and  sling  them  on  my  club, 
and  return  to  the  cave,  would  generally  occupy  a 
couple  of  hours.  The  meat  thus  obtained  would 
be  about  four  pounds  from  each,  but  of  the  young 
birds  the  whole  carcass  was  taken.  The  solan 
geese  were  to  be  foinul  in  abundance  in  their  quar- 
ter.    If  ground  birds  or  gonys  were  wantcil,  tiiey 


n 


VISITORS. 


67 


abounded  in  and  about  the  banks.  There  were 
larf^c  pigeons  that  lived  on  the  beaches  and  about 
the  rocks  in  great  numbers  ;  they  were  rather  hirger 
than  our  wild  wood-pigeon,  and  equally  good  eat- 
ing. Their  plumage  was  entirely  white,  legs  red, 
bill  black  ;  they  were  tame  as  our  domestic  fowl, 
and  abundant  through  the  year,  following  us  in 
flocks  on  the  beaches  wherever  we  went,  and  feed- 
ing on  the  carcass  of  an  elephant  while  we  were 
taking  the  blul^ber  from  it.  About  the  try-works 
we  had  to  cover  up  everything  they  could  eat ;  or,  if 
our  hut  tloors  were  left  open,  they  woukl  be  sure  to 
commit  depredations  on  our  chests  and  beds. 

If  fish  were  wanted,  we  used  to  go  to  the  beach 
when  the  surf  was  breaking,  and  throw  a  piece  of 
fresh  carcass  into  the  water ;  the  fish  would  come 
for  it  with  a  rush,  the  surf  would  throw  them  on 
shore,  and  we  liad  only  to  pick  up  what  we  wanted. 

To  vary  the  scene,  I  was  sometimes  allowed  to 
change  work  with  one  of  the  boat's  crew,  and  also 
to  go  on  ex'cursions  by  land  to  hunt  for  seal,  in 
some  of  which  the  party  (generally  of  two  persons) 
would  be  absent  a  week  or  more  ;  the  intervals  be- 
tween the  elepliant  seasons  we  occupied  in  sealing, 
frequentlv  backing  the  skins  twenty  miles. 

We  had  been  on  the  island,  after  the  departure  of 
our  vessel,  about  four  months,  when  we  had  a  call 
from  visitors.  One  day,  two  of  our  party  were  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  islatul,  hunting  hogs,  when 
they  saw  a  brig  in  the  olHng  approach  and  send  a 
boi.t  to  the  shore.  Our  people  met  them,  went  on 
board  and  passed  t!ie  night,  and  the  next  day  jjiioted 


*fi 


lis 


!    Hi 


m 


is  I 


6S 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


I 


!!!•' 


the  vessel  to  our  rendezvous.  She  proved  to  be  the 
General  Gatcs^  of  Boston,  on  a  scaling  voyage. 
The  Captain  and  sealing-mastcr  came  on  shore,  and 
passed  the  night  with  us.  We  were  too  lately 
landed  to  be  in  want  of  anything,  but  at  parting 
the  next  day,  they  put  a  dog  and  a  cat  in  our  boat, 
both  of  which  we  highly  prized,  as  long  as  we  had 
them.  The  cat  was  very  useful  in  freeing  the  cave 
from  mice.  After  a  few  months'  residence  with  us, 
she  took  a  notion  to  ramble  away,  aqd  probably  got 
frightened  by  the  groutid-birds,  who  at  night  bur- 
row, and  keep  up  such  a  tremendous  squalling  that 
it  is  enough  to  frighten  cats  or  human  beings  who 
might  land  here  in  the  night,  without  a  knowledge 
of  the  inhabitants ;  be  that  as  it  may,  pussy  never 
returned  to  us.  She  became  wild.  Sometimes,  in 
months  after,  we  had  glimpses  of  her,  far  inland; 
but,  on  sight  of  us,  she  would  bound  away.  The 
dog,  "Jack,"  we  had  become  much  attached  to  ;  he 
was  my  constant  companion  in  my  hunts,  and  of 
good  assistance  in  rooting  out  ground-birds.  He 
was  with  us  almost  a  year,  when  one  day,  in  dig- 
ging a  bird  from  a  hole  in  a  high  bank,  over  the 
sea-shore,  the  bird  got  him  by  the  nose,  causing 
poor  Jack  to  back  astern  in  such  a  hurry  that  he 
went  over  the  precipice  and  was  killed  on  the  rocks 
below.  lie  had  a  decent  burial,  and  was  mourned 
as  a  friend. 

The  long  evenings  of  the  first  winter  we  passed 
pleasantly  enough.  A  good  portion  of  a  cargo  of 
oil  was  ready  for  the  vessel,  and  wc  were  confident 
of  having  everythnig  that  could  hold  oil  filled  by 


Wl 


BVENINU   AMUSEMENTS. 


Cg 


the  time  of  her  return.  Our  quarters  were  well 
lighted  by  lamps  obtained  from  the  French  wreck ; 
we  also  made  others  by  filinjj  off  one  end  of  a  shell 
of  an  albatross  egg,  which  was  rather  thick,  and 
would  contain  half  a  pint  of  oil ;  a  cotton  rag  was 
suspended  in  it  for  a  wick  ;  a  half-dozen  of  these 
hung  up  in  each  hut,  gave  a  cheerful  appearance  to 
our  domiciles. 

Various  methods  were  resorted  to  for  amuse- 
ment, all  of  which  were  promoted  and  encouraged 
by  trie  ''  Governor  and  suite."  We  had  no  theatri- 
cals other  than  the  reading  of  plays  and  dialogues, 
in  which  all  took  a  part.  Songs  were  sung,  and 
jokes  cracked.  Bob,  the  coopers  mate,  had  an  old 
violin,  on  which  he  scraped  out  what  he  called 
tunes.  The  evening  was  usually  closed  with  a 
"shave  her  down"  on  the  cooper's  platform,  then 
we  smoked  our  pipes  and  turned  in.  We  were  happy 
and  contented  among  ourselves,  and  evervthing 
went  with  a  will,  whether  at  work  or  play.  As  for 
smoking,  we  all  smoked.  1  believe  the  most  ultra 
lecturer  that  ever  denouticed  the  use  of  the  weed, 
would  have  smoked  it  had  he  been  there.  Our  pipes 
were  a  curiosity  :  the  bowl  was  a  large  elephant's 
tooth,  about  four  inches  long,  hollow  from  tiic  lower 
part,  half  way  up  ;  a  hole  was  bored,  and  the  small 
wing-bone  of  an  albatross  inserted  for  a  stem.  In 
the  course  of  a  year,  our  supply  of  tobacco  gave 
out;  the  deprivation  we  felt  to  be  very  great.  The 
greatest  sullerer  was  the  old  cooper ;  he  was  the 
only  one  that  chewed.  After  his  supply  failed,  and 
he  had  bought,  begged,  and  picked  up  every  bit  he 


I 


I' 


4fi 


.1; 


70 


FOI^E  AND  AFT. 


could  find,  he  was  obliged  to  finish  ofl'  by  cutting 
up  and  chewing  every  old  pocket  he  could  obtain 
that  had  carried  tobacco  in  it. 

AmoniT  the  stores  which  were  left  us  was  a  demi- 
John  of  rum.  It  had  rem  .ined  untouched  for  many 
months.  Our  grog  was  stopped  when  we  left  the 
vessel,  but  that  was  no  deprivation  to  most  of  us. 
The  Governor  did  not  drink,  but  his  Lieutenant 
did  (when  he  could  get  it).  Now  his  tobacco  was 
gone,  he  was  seized  with  a  longing  desire  to  take  a 
nipper  of  grog.  Being  left  alone  in  the  cave*  le 
afternoon,  when  the  boat  was  away,  and  I  was  out 
looking  for  the  next  day's  dinner,  the  cooper  sent 
his  mate  out  of  the  way,  and,  going  into  the  store- 
room, took  a  pull  at  the  demijohn,  and  also  filled  a 
bottle.  ReturniuL;  unexpectedly,  I  found  him  just 
leaving  the  premises,  with  the  bottle  under  his 
jacket.  lie  threatened  me  with  vengeance  in  case 
I  revealed  anything  to  the  Governor.  I  promised 
to  say  nothing  alTout  it  if  he  would  not  repeat  the 
oflbnce,  and  I  should  not  be  questioned ;  but  on  the 
mate's  return,  and  entrance  to  the  store-room,  the 
smell  of  rum  was  too  palpable  to  escape  his  notice. 
As  I  was  closely  questioned,  I  had  to  tell  all  I  knew. 
Nothing  was  said  on  the  subject  to  the  cooper,  but 
he  was  sent  away  by  the  mate  on  some  frivolous 
duty,  and  we  hunted  the  cave  over  to  fuid  the  bottle, 
ransacking  the  berths,  chests,  and  every  conceivable 
place  where  it  could  be  hid,  but  without  success. 
The  matter  was  passed  over  in  silence,  althougli  the 
cooper  knew  he  was  suspected.  W'^e  kept  a  sharp 
look-out  for  the  bottle,  but  it  never  after  made  its 


A    BOTTLE   OF  RUM. 


71 


appearance,  neither  were  them  any  indications 
wliile  we  were  oi^  the  ishmd  that  the  individual  put 
any  more  rum  to  his  lips ;  but  that  bottle  was  found 
twenty-seven  years  afterwards,  and  it  came  to  my 
knowlcdj^e  in  this  way  : 

Many  times  in  my  life,  in  roaming  over  the  globe, 
I  have  been  brought  in  contact  with  persons  of 
whom  I  had  no  previous  knowledge,  and  in  whose 
history  or  experience  I  could  not  conceive  that  there 
was  anything  that  concerned  or  would  interest  me; 
but  sitting  down,  as  sailors  often  do,  to  compare 
notes,  long-past  events  of  mutual  interest  having 
accidentally  been  touched  upon,  subjects  have  been 
revived,  explanations  and  developments  made,  which 
we  little  dreamed  of.  Among  seamen,  such  coinci- 
dences are  always  occurring ;  mutual  friends,  long 
unheard  of,  are  brought  up  and  traced  for  years 
after  we  had  lost  sight  of  them.  Many,  very  many, 
details  of  men  and  things  are  explained  and  con- 
nected, of  much  interest. 

Thus  was  the  history  of  the  bottle  revived.  In 
the  commencement  of  the  war  with  Mexico,  in 
iS^6,  I  was  in  command  of  a  ship  trading  on  the 
coast  of  California,  and  was  at  the  port  of  San 
Francisco,  where  a  iumil)er  of  whale-ships  were 
lying  in  port,  awaiting  to  hear  more  definite  news 
respecting  the  war.  As  there  was  but  little  society 
on  shore,  the  whole  population  of  the  place  at  that 
time  being  about  fifty  persons,  the  captains  were  in 
the  habit  of  congregating  on  board  each  others* 
ships,  i!i  the  evening,  to  tell  anil  hear  the  news,  and 
form  plans  for  dcfcAicc,  in  case  of  attack.     Being 


">? 


''»:£ 


^1 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


\\ 


an  old  trader  on  the  coast,  and  having  large  cabin 
accommodations,  my  ship  was  a  general  rendez- 
vous. One  evening  I  overheard  a  Captain  Ste- 
vens, of  the  bark  United  States,  of  New  London, 
speaking  of  a  voyage  on  which  he  was  cast  away 
at  Prince  Edward's  Island,  in  the  South  Indian 
Ocean. 

Captain  Stevens  was  relating  to  a  number  of 
listeners  some  incidents  of  his  shipwreck.  He  said 
it  was  a  barren,  dreary  place,  where  he  and  his 
crew  remained  eight  months;  that  they  there  found 
a  large  cave  that  had  once  been  inhabited ;  they 
also  found  a  pile  of  salt,  some  old  iron,  cooking 
vessels,  etc.,  which  had  evidently  been  used  by  peo- 
ple of  a  former  generation.  In  front  of  the  cave 
there  was  a  heavy  piece  of  stone  masonry,  which 
was  probably  the  work  of  the  ancients.  "  But, 
most  strange  of  all,"  he  said,  "  while  I  was  ascend- 
ing a  bank  near  the  cave,  my  attention  was  at- 
tracted to  a  bright  object  about  the  size  of  a  dollar, 
glistening  in  the  sun  ;  it  proved  to  be  a  portion  of 
a  common,  dark-colored  junk  bottle,  all  but  the  ex- 
posed portion  being  of  its  natural  color,  while  that 
small  part  was  white  or  pearly.  It  was  found  to 
be  about  two-thirds  full  of  rum,  of  the  best  quality 
I  ever  tasted ;  I  would  give  a  good  deal  to  know 
the  history  of  that  bottle,  and  who  built  that  stone 
wall." 

Of  course  he  was  much  surprised  when  I  told 
him  that  I  could  give  him  the  desired  information, 
without  money  and  without  price,  as  I  helped  to 
build  that  wall,  and  knew  how  that  bottle  came  to 


TREASURE   TROVE. 


n 


be  there,  and  how  long  it  had  remained  buried.  I 
then  informed  him  of  the  matter  of  the  cooper  and 
the  bottle,  and  I  judged  that,  in  his  hurry  and  con- 
fusion, the  depositor  had  hid  it  where  he  was 
unable  to  find  it  himself  afterwards.  The  final 
discoverer,  no  doubt,  foui  J  it  to  be  one  of  the  most 
interesting  productions  of  the  island. 


V  i 

'A 


Mi; 


1-M 


74 


FORE  AND   AFT. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

SOMETHING    ABOUT    BIRDS. 

THE  penguins,  with  which  the  island  abounded, 
atVorded  us  much  amusement  as  well  as  benefit. 
The  larjrest  are  the  '•  Kin<T  Penguin";  the\  and 
about  three  feet  high,  are  white  on  the  belly,  with 
slate-colored  backs,  black  heads,  and  brigiit  yellow 
necks.  They  delight  to  occupy  the  level  sand 
beaches  during  the  season  of  incubation,  and  while 
thuy  are  shedding  their  feathers.  !Many  thousands 
will  be  gathered  together  in  the  rear  of  a  broad 
beach,  a  colony  by  themselves,  where  they  appear 
to  marshal  themselves  into  companies  and  platoons, 
under  the  evident  direction  of  a  leader.  These 
different  companies  execute  their  various  evolu- 
tions in  perfect  harmony,  the  regularity  of  their 
movements,  and  their  bright  uniform  coats,  giving 
them  quite  a  military  aspect.  The  females  pro- 
duce but  one  Ggg  a  season,  and  this  they  arc  able 
to  transport  about  with  them,  nature  having  pro- 
vided them  with  a  cavity,  or  pouch,  at  the  lower 
part  of  the  body,  for  the  protection  of  the  ii^g%',  over 
which  they  can  curl  up  the  tail,  and  thus  support 
it  while  moving  about.  They  do  not  lie  on,  but 
stand  over,  the  c'^^,  or  young  one. 

It  was   amusing  to  observe  the  rascally  "  Fee- 
mows"   gather   around   some   unfortunate,  on  the 


Hal 


THE  PENGUINS. 


75 


outskirts  of  the  colony,  travelling  round  with  its 
young  one,  or  egg,  held  in  th^  embrace  of  the  tail, 
like  a  gang  of  blacklegs,  or  pickpockets,  around 
a  greeny  from  the  country.  A  crowd  of  these 
black  villains  would  get  around  the  innocent  pen- 
guin ;  one  would  fly  against  and  knock  her  over, 
while  others  would  be  ready  to  drive  their  bills 
into  the  egg,  or  seize  the  young  bird  in  their  talons, 
flv  away  and  eat  it,  then  return  for  more.  But 
these  cannibals  would  do  the  same  to  each  other. 
We  held  them  in  the  same  estimation  in  which  a 
sailor  holds  a  shark.  Thev  were  the  only  bird  on 
the  island  that  our  people  would  not  eat. 

The  king  penguin  has  no  nest.  The  care  of 
the  ^'g^n,  or  young,  is  divided  between  the  male 
and  female.  One  of  them  goes  oil*  to  sea  to 
feed,  while  the  other  remains  by  the  deposit.  At 
early  daylight,  hundreds  of  companies  would  be 
seen  marching  for  the  water,  always  in  rank  and 
file,  under  leadership,  distinct  and  separate  from 
other  companies.  When  the  captain  stopped  they 
would  all  stop,  without  moving  out  of  line  ;  when 
he  renewed  his  march  they  would  follow  ;  plung- 
ing into  the  water,  they  obtained  their  supply  of 
food,  and  returned  towards  night,  when  they  again 
form  a  line,  take  up  their  maich,  and  rejoin  Iheir 
companions.  Thus,  all  day,  these  companies  were 
going  and  coming,  without  interfering  with  each 
other.  It  was  curious,  also,  to  see  them  penetrate 
through  the  dense  masses  to  tind  their  companions 
in  the  centre  or  rear  of  the  rookery.  In  front,  and 
between   the  rookery  and  the  water,  scores  of  ele- 


i! 


•  si 


: 


•im 

i         'l 


E'    t ' 


iil 


i»4 


76 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


pliant  were  lying  on  the  beacli,  wl/ilc  higher  up, 
above  the  king  penguin,  separate  and  d'stinct  from 
them,  and  always  on  an  inclined  plane,  would  be 
hundreds  of  acres  thickly  covered  with  "  field  pen- 
guin"; these  were  continually  travelling  up  and 
down,  through  the  day,  like  the  former. 

The  field  penguin  are  about  half  the  size  of  the 
king  species ;  they  are  inorc  active    than   the  oth- 
ers, and  go  farther  from  the  water ;  they  scratch  up 
mud  and  gravel  to  form  a  nest,  and  lay  four  or  five 
eggs,  abdut  the  size  of  a  duck's.     These  eggs  sup- 
plied us  with  all  we  wanted  in  that  line  ;  they  are 
equal  in  quality  to  hens'  eggs,  and  we  were  never 
without  them  while  we  were  on   the  island.     Our 
method  of  collecting  them   was   to   break  all    the 
eggs,  on  perhaps  two  or  three  acres  of  ground,  one 
day,  and  on  the  following  morning  pick  up  all  the 
new  ones  on  the  spot.    Of  course,  everybody  knows 
that  penguin,  though  well  covered  with  feathers, 
never  fly,  or  rise  from  the  ground  ;  they  stand,  and 
walk  erect,  on  short  legs,  terminating  in  web  feet; 
where  wings  are,  in  birds  of  the  air,  the  penguin 
have  appendages,  with   bones    somewhat    similar 
to,  but  stouter  than  wings ;  these  are  covered,  like 
their  bodies,  with  short  and  strong  feathers,  which 
lie  close  and  compact ;  when  walking,  these  wings 
or  paddles  are  folded  close  to  the  body,  and  in  the 
water  they  are  fins,  propelling  them  with  great  ve- 
locity.    Sailors  call   them  ''  feathered  fish."     The 
field  tribe  are   most  numerous.     They  could  strike 
with   much  force  with  their  fins,  as  our  legs  could 
testify  when  we  had  to  pass  among  them. 


THE  ALBATROSS. 


lip, 

om 

be 


n 


There  was  another  tribe,  smaller  than  the  last 
mentionccl,  called  the  '•  maccaroni,"  or  rock  pen- 
guin, whose  favt)rite  haunts  were  on  rocky  points, 
and  under  clitls  of  the  shore.  These  difleretl 
from  the  others,  in  having  ear-locks  consisting  of 
a  few  bright  yellow  feathers  on  each  side  of  the 
head,  standing  out  at  right  angles,  which  gives 
them  a  beautiful  appearance.  The  eggs  of  these 
birds  were  decidedly  "  fishy,"  and  we  did  not  use 
them.  In  another  direction,  and  near  by,  might 
be  seen  the  large  white  albatross,  scattered  about 
on  grassy  spots,  while  the  flocks  of  wild  pigeons 
running  about  on  the  beaches,  the  piratical  pee- 
movv  soaring  overhead,  "waiting  for  something  to 
turn  up,"  the  bellowing  of  the  elephant,  the  loud, 
busy  hum  of  the  industrious  penguin  population, 
and  the  screeching  of  millions  of  birds  of  various 
kinds,  all  mingling  together,  gave  a  business-like 
appearance  to  the  scene.  Such  sights  and  sounds 
must  be  seen  and  heard  ;  I  cannot  do  justice  by  any 
description  of  them. 

The  "  albatross "  are  very  majestic  and  noble- 
looking  birds,  the  old  ones  entirely  white,  the 
younger  with  brown  backs;  they  are  similar  to 
those  oft'  Cape  Horn,  but  larger.  I  have  often 
measured  them  eleven  feet  from  tip  to  tip,  with 
their  wings  stretched  out.  They  prefer  level,  moist, 
grassy  land  to  build  their  nests  on.  Pulling  up  the 
mud  with  the  grass  adhering,  in  a  circuit  often  or 
twelve  feet,  they  build  up  a  nest  from  the  middle, 
about  two  feet  high,  large  at  the  base,  and  tapering 
off  in  beautiful  proportion  to  the  top.     This  bird 


:f: 


i 


*'? 


'  i  M 


<•  1 


[is 


7S 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


lu 


IS 


has  a  down  simila.-  to  the  swan's.  We  cured  many 
of  Uieir  skins,  which  I  presume  brought  a  good 
price.  When  it  is  cahn,  they  cannot  rise  from  the 
ground  withou'  running  a  considerable  distance  to 
get  iieadway ;  they  delight  in  strong  winds,  and 
will  move  with  case  and  rapidity  in  the  face  of  the 
strongest  gales  ;  over  the  land  they  soar  at  great 
hcliihts.  which  I  nevor  knew  them  to  do  at  sea. 

In  one  of  my  trips  to  the  opposite  side  of  the 
island,  two  of  us  had  procured  our  back-load  of 
seal-skins,  and  were  on  our  retu''n  home,  across  the 
mountains.  Deacondiiig  towards  the  plains,  after 
dark,  we  cam;;  to  a  moderate-sized  iiill,  vvhicli  lay 
in  our  track :  my  companion  preferred  going 
round  ;  I  chose  to  cross  it.  J.  had  reached  tlie  top, 
and  was  leisurely  descending  the  other  side ;  the 
evening  was  calm  and  still,  the  stars  briglit  enough 
to  light  nie  on  my  way,  when  1  was  suddcrdy 
startled  by  v.  noise,  as  of  something  rushitig  through 
the  air,  over  my  licad.  I  looked  up,  expecting  to 
see  a  comet  or  meteor  cutting  through  space,  but 
there  was  aone  ;  the  sound  M  the  while  increasing 
to  a  mighty  rush.  I  felt  somewhat  alarmed,  and 
none  the  less  so  when  two  lurge  white  object.-^  fell 
a  few  yards  in  front  of  me,  striking  t)^.c  ground  with 
a  concussion  that  my  companion  heard  at  the  toot 
of  the  hill,  and  thought  was  the  report  of  a  gun. 
Getting  over  my  fright,  1  approached  to  see  whetlier 
they  were  objects  celestial  or  terrestrial ;  they  proved 
to  be  two  large  albatross,  and  were  both  dead.  I 
concluded  that,  while  soaring  and  moving  at  a  rapid 
rate,   perhaps    sleeping,  they  came   into   collision 


WHERE  IS   THE  BRIG  f 


79 


with  each  other,  and,  like  two  ships  at  sea  coming 
together  in  somewhat  simihir  circumstances,  both 
went  to  the  bottom.  I  was  glad  wlicn  I  joined  my 
comrade,  for  my  imagination  had  been  consider- 
ably excited. 

On  anothci  occasion,  two  of  us  were  sleeping 
on  the  shore  at  the  foot  of  a  high,  perpendicular, 
rocky  bluff.  We  had  wrapped  ourselves  up  warm 
in  skins,  and  were  lying  on  the  flat  rocks  with  our 
feet  to  the  fire,  wliich,  as  the  n'ght  was  cohl,  we 
had  to  replenish  often  by  tinovving  on  it,  not  a  stick 
of  wood,  but  a  strip  of  blubber.  We  were  started 
from  our  dreams  by  a  tremendous  whack  against 
the  face  of  the  cliff  overhead,  followed  by  a  large 
black  object  falling  near  the  fire.  We  jumped  up, 
wondering  it"  the  old  gentleman  in  black  had  not 
come  in  person  ;  but  this  time  it  was  oidy  a  large 
"blubber  dragger,"  who  had  been  mystified,  prob- 
ably, by  the  light  of  the  fire,  and  had  stove  in  his 
bows  against  the  rocks. 

But  every  party  had  something  interesting  and 
amusing  to  relate  on  their  return,  after  a  few  days' 
absence  from  tlie  rendezvous,  and  all  helped  to  keep 
off  the  biues,  which  now  began  to  appear  in  some 
of  the  gang,  for  we  had  been  on  the  island  one 
year,  and  our  vessel  had  not  returned.  Our  casks 
were  all  filled  ;  we  had  collected  about  fifty  thou- 
tuitKl  gallons  of  oil,  and  about  seven  thousand  fur 
seaUskins,  and  why  did  she  not  come?  The  preva- 
lent opinion  was  tiiat  she  foundered  after  leaving 
lis,  and  before  arriving  at  any  port ;  consequently 
nobody  knew  of  our  being  left  on  this  miserable 


I   ■  ''H 


8o 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


spot,  and  we  had  to  trust  for  our  rescue  to  the 
chance  calling  of  some  other  vessel,  which  might 
not  occur  for  a  numher  of  years. 

Some,  again,  had  strong  suspicions  of  *' foul 
play  " —  that  the  Captain,  in  absenting  himself  so 
long,  had  hopes  that  when  he  did  return  he  would 
find  a  full  cargo  ready  for  him,  the  collectors  of 
which  had  been  taken  ofl'  by  scurvy,  or  other  dis- 
ease, leaving  nobody  to  share  the  proceeds  with 
him.  Our  executive  officer,  justly  imagining  what 
thoughts  might  occur  to  us,  took  the  right  method 
to  keep  us  from  brooding  over  the  matter  by  keep- 
ing us  constantly  employed,  and  at  the  same  time 
in  a  healthv  condition. 

And  here  let  me  digress  a  little,  to  do  justice  to 
our  officer  in  command  on  the  island  (Mr.  Enoch 
Burnham,  a  native  of  Essex,  Mass.).  But  for  his 
considerate  and  kind  treatment,  with  strict  disci- 
pline, properly  enforced,  in  the  discharge  of  duty, 
accompanied  by  cheering  promises  of  a  good  voyage, 
and  a  return  to  home  and  friends,  we  should  have 
sunk  under  the  ever-brooding  thoughts  of  our  de- 
serted and  desolate  condition. 

Mr.  B.  was  captured  by  an  English  frigate  in 
the  war  of  1812,  was  conihied  in  Dartmoor  Prison 
for  most  of  the  war,  and  was  one  of  the  ball-play- 
ing party  there  when  numbers  were  so  riuhlessly 
massacred  by  the  notorious  Shortland.  A  reci»:al 
of  many  of  the  events  and  sutferings  of  that  prison- 
life,  with  which  he  frequently  favore«l  us,  tended 
somewhat  to  reconcile  us  to  our  island-prison. 
Captain  B.,  for  many  years  after,  was  an  eminent 


MMMBIHiilHBH 


EXPLORING   THE  ISLAND. 


St 


ship-master  from  the  port  of  Baltimore,  in  which 
city  he  still  resides,  at  a  very  advanced  age. 
During  the  late  war,  he  was  in  the  Government 
service  three  years,  in  command  of  a  transport: 
ship.  He  is,  indeed,  a  worthy  veteran  —  one  of  the 
very  few  of  the  Dartmoor  survivors,  and  probably 
the  only  one  of  that  band  who  commanded  a  ship 
at  so  late  a  period. 

To  return  to  the  island.  The  work  being  less 
pressing  than  it  had  been,  parties  of  two  at  a  time 
were  allow  go  on  excursions,  and  be  absent  for 

a  week  or  two  \  to  explore  unfrequented  places,  to 
hunt  for  seal,  and  make  any  general  discoveries. 
The  only  article  of  stores  we  took  with  us  was  a 
little  bag  of  salt,  to  season  the  food  which  the  hunt 
was  to  aflbrd.  A  short-handled  frying-pan  was 
stuck  into  the  belt  of  one  of  t)ie  party,  wiiile  the 
other  took  churge  of  the  tinder-box  and  brimstone- 
matches  (phosphorus  not  bemg  then  used).  These, 
each  having  his  seal-club,  knite,  and  steel,  consti- 
tuted all  the  equipment  for  a  campaign  lor  any 
number  of  days.  In  our  trips  we  took  no  clothing 
with  us  but  what,  we  had  on,  always  trusting  for 
beds  and  bedding  to  the  skins  we  were  to  get. 

A  little  more  than  half  the  shores  of  the  island 
hail  been  explored  —  the  rest  was  all  terra  incog- 
nita to  us  —  when  Topham  and  myself  set  out  on 
a  tour,  unrestricted  by  any  particular  orders.  Wo 
had  the  matter  of  new  discoveries  under  consider- 
ation a  good  many  days,  keeping  it  to  ourselves, 
lest  some  damper  should  be  j.  .t  upon  our  plan.  We 
hud  determined  to  strike  across  the  mountains,  and 


ti  ■  t" 


i' 


8t 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


beginning  at  the  furthest  point  of  shore,  reached  in 
all  previous  cxplo'ations,  to  continue  on,  and  finish 
up  the  iCst  of  the  circuit.  So,  buckling  on  our 
usual  weapons,  and  having  our  pockets  filled  with 
hard-boiled  eggs,  we  set  out,  after  eating  a  hearty 
breakfast.  Taking  a  gap  in  the  mountains  for  a 
mark,  we  steeretl  for  it  with  as  little  deviation  from 
a  direct  line  as  possible.  Sometimes  wc  would  be 
headed  off,  and  have  to  travel  half  a  mile  round  a 
large  field  of  volcanic  scoria,  or  cinder,  which  would 
have  been  holc-y  ground  for  our  moccasins,  had 
wc  attempted  to  cross  it ;  then  we  would  go  out  of 
our  course  to  get  round  a  precipitous  hill,  so  that 
in  crossing  the  island,  where  the  width  was  about 
fifteen  mile>,  we  had  to  travel  twenty  to  accomplish 
it.  We  arrived  at  the  opposite  shore  just  before 
dark.  Having  selected  a  lee  under  the  bank  for 
our  camp,  we  proceeded  to  a  beach  near  by,  killed 
two  elephants,  took  the  skins  ofl*  for  our  blankets, 
then  getting  a  fire  under  way,  we  soon  had  a  sup- 
per ready  of  fried  tongues,  boiled  eggs,  and  good 
cold  water. 

Making  ourselves  very  couiiortable  for  the  night, 
we  started  early  after  brcakf.ist  the  following  morn- 
ing, examining  every  nook  and  every  beach  for  seal. 
We  killed  a  few  on  our  wav,  cleaning  the  skjns, 
and  making  them  as  light  ai»  possible  to  transport. 
About  noon,  we  came  to  a  large,  level  svind-beuch, 
the  low  land  extending  some  way  from  the  hiiore, 
and  almost  literally  covered  with  penguin  rook- 
eries, elephant,  and  albatross.  Alter  surveying  the 
premises,  and  selecting  a  camping-place,  wc  buou 


AMONG   THE  SEAL. 


S3 


had  the  frying-pan  in  full  operation  :  having  taken 
a  pup  seal  on  the  beach,  we  fared  sumptuously. 
The  carcass  of  a  young  seal  we  considered  equal 
to  lamb,  bread  or  vegetables  being  out  of  the  ques- 
tion. Before  dark,  wc  killed  and  took  the  jackets 
oir  thirty  to  forty  seal.  After  doing  so  good  a 
day's  work,  we  fed  well  and  slept  well,  and  were 
early  at  the  beach  the  next  morning,  capturing  a 
lot  of  "  clapmatches"  and  "yearlings,"  that  is,  the 
females  and  one-year  old  pups,  making  over  iifly 
fine  skins.  And  now  the  question  was,  what  to  do 
with  them.  We  concluded  to  clean  them  as  well 
as  we  could,  with  our  knives,  stretch  them  on  the 
rocks  to  dry,  pack  them  away  in  a  dry  place,  and 
leave  them  for  future  transportation  across  the 
mountains.  This  detained  us  tlnce  days.  Tliis 
being  the  weather-side  of  the  island,  there  was  al- 
wavs  too  much  surf  to  work  a  boat  on  the  shore  ; 
thcrctore  all  the  skins  obtained  here  had  to  be 
backed  to  our  head-quaiters. 

Having  well  secured  our  furs,  we  continued  on 
our  way.  The  travel  all  this  day  was  a  rough  one  ; 
the  coast  could  only  be  approached  in  a  few  places, 
on  account  of  precipices,  and  we  had  to  tun\  olV 
inland  so  often,  that  wc  made  only  seven  or  eight 
milei^  progress  before  dark,  and  then  had  to  pass 
tlw  night  without  tire,  as  we  could  not  get  to  a 
bc.ich  ;  but  we  hail  some  cold  meat  with  us,  and 
«ach  one  had  taken  a  half-dried  fur  seal-skin  from 
ow  kw*  camp,  so  that  we  were  quite  comfortable  at 
night.  The  next  noon  we  came,  after  hard  travel, 
to  another  large  beach,  and  as  the  prospect  beyond 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


lookctl  unpromising,  we  stopped  there  for  the  iilght. 
There  were  a  good  many  seal  about,  but  as  we 
coidd  not  take  care  of  them,  we  only  Uillcil  what 
our  present  necessities  required.  We  found  a  rook- 
cry  of  solan  geese,  which  were  fine  eating.  Our 
camping-place  was  at  the  termination  of  a  range  of 
high  blulfs,  at  the  foot  of  which  there  was  a  good 
shelter,  and  again  we  passed  the  night  comfortably. 
The  next  morning  we  ascendeil  a  higli  bank,  to  see 
how  the  face  of  the  country  looked  on  our  intended 
route.  We  found  that  we  had  now  to  cross  a  low, 
level  tract,  of  four  or  five  miles  in  extent,  entirely 
covered  with  cinders,  rough,  sharp,  and  extremely 
trving  to  the  feet;  this  could  not  be  avoided  by  go- 
ing inland,  as  a  like  surface  apparently  extended 
a  luunber  of  miles  back,  reaching  the  base  of  the 
mountains.  Opposite  to  us,  across  tine  field  of  vol- 
canic matter,  and  at  the  apparent  distance  of  four  or 
iive  miles,  high  blulls  again  occurred,  the  sides  of 
which  a]5peared  to  be  of  easy  ascent,  and  we  sup- 
posed there  might  be  a  beach  on  th.it  side,  as  here. 

Ileforc  starting,  we  cooked  up  some  meat  to  carry 
with  us,  and  our  tinder-box  was  replenished  with 
fresh  tinder.  Our  stock  of  brimstone  matches  was 
reduced  to  two,  and  the  deficiency  could  not  be 
remedied  ;  therefore  we  hoped  to  be  out  but  one 
more  night  before  reaching  home. 

At  noon  we  had  travelled  four  or  five  mfles,  when 
we  stopped  to  dine,  ami  to  make  moccasins.  Wc 
found  we  were  not  more  than  half  across  this  hard 
road.  The  whole  distance  thus  far  had  been  liko 
w  alking  over  the  cinders  thrown  out  of  a  blacksmith's 


ROUGH  QUARTERS. 


S5 


forge,  and  tlicrc  was  as  much  before  us.  Our 
moccabius  were  cut  throui/h,  aiul  our  feet  bleeiliu''. 
W'c  were  overtaken,  before  starting  again,  by  a 
heavy  gale  of  wind,  attended  by  a  drenching  rain  ;  the 
grass  in  our  moccasins  was  used  up,  and  our  naked 
feet,  in  tile  thin  seal-skin  coverings,  were  but  poorly 
protecteil  from  the  sharp  stones.  Frefjuently  we  were 
obliged  to  stop  and  rei)air  damages  ;  and,  being  wet 
to  the  skin,  were  doubly  anxious  to  get  to  where  we 
could  have  a  fire.  There  were  some  rough  ridges 
and  ravines  to  be  crossed  betore  we  gaineil  the 
other  side  of  the  cinder  Held,  and  on  reaching  the 
border  just  before  dark,  our  feet  were  almost  bare. 
Sadly  disap[)ointed  were  wc  at  not  fnidiug  a  com- 
fortable camping-place. 

A  blulV  bank  borderetl  close  on  the  shore ;  there 
was  no  beach,  but  in  a  gully  on  the  side  of  the 
bank  there  were  several  elephant  l}ing  on  the 
rocks;  along  down  this  gully,  and  parallel  with  the 
bank,  the  wind  rushed  with  great  fury,  while  it  rained 
without  cessation.  Wc  managed  to  kill  .n  elephant, 
and  then  ti  ied  to  ilnd  a  protecteil  place  v\  nere  we 
could  build  a  lire.  There  was  none;  but  close  to 
the  high  bank  two  large  rocks  had  appareiitly  fallen 
from  the  clilf,  with  their  edi^es  resting  against  each 
other  in  such  a  maimer  that,  by  fastening  uj)  the  imkI 
next  to  the  bank,  we  had  room  to  crawl  in  between 
them  anil  lie  down.  So  we  went  to  work  in  the 
4urk,  gathering  tui  f  and  tussock,  and  banked  up  die 
end,  bo  that  the  wind  was  entirely  excluded.  The 
precious  tinder-box  was  proiluced,  the  kindling  pre- 


i 


1      i 


m 


Ir 


» 


86 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


pared,  and  the  two  matches,  worth  at  that  moment 
twenty  tunes  their  weight  in  gold,  were  held  in 
careful  readiness:  holding  the  tinder-box  between 
his  knees,  Topham,  with  the  flint  and  steel,  made 
the  sparks  fly  in  showers,  but  they  would  not  catch  ; 
the  tinder  was  wet.  We  both  labored  at  the  work 
until  we  were  convinced  that  we  might  as  well 
attempt  to  ignite  a  bucket  of  water  as  our  wet 
tinder ;  and  now  the  misery  of  our  situation  burst 
upon  us.  Every  garment  on  our  persons  was 
wringing  wet,  a  long,  cold,  stormy  night  was  before 
us,  so  dark  we  could  not  stir  from  our  places,  and 
the  surrounding  rough  rocks  forbade  us  to  move 
about  to  keep  our  blood  circulating. 

The  prospect  was  anything  but  pleasant.  The 
rain  continued  to  descend  in  torrents.  We  found 
our  way  down  to  the  dead  elephant,  took  off*  his 
skin  in  the  dark,  and  dragged  it  up  to  our  hole,  then 
stripped  oflJ*  all  our  clothes,  wrung  the  water  out, 
put  a  part  of  them  on  again  and  lay  down,  covering 
ourselves  with  the  large,  green,  warm  hide  of  the 
elephant,  and  tried  to  keep  warm.  The  only  article 
of  clothing  I  had  on  was  my  woollen  drawers ;  my 
arms  were  shoved  through  the  flipper  holes  of  a 
seal-skin,  and  the  skin,  with  the  fur  inside,  tolerably 
well  protected  my  body.  We  were  soon  com- 
fortably warm,  and  had  fallen  asleep,  but  we  had 
been  nursing  a  deluge,  which  soon  burst  upon  us. 
By  damming  up  the  back  of  our  habitation  we  had 
been  preparing  a  reservoir  in  our  rear,  where  a 
large  body  of  water  accumulated ;  and   this  being 


i 


WASHED  OUT. 


87 


suddenly  increased  in  volume  by  a  large  stream  en- 
tering it  from  the  high  land,  we  were  aroused  from 
our  slumbers  by  the  falling  of  our  embankment 
in  upon  us,  and  by  a  wild  rush  of.  water,  which 
washed  us  bodily  out  among  the  rocks.  When  fully 
awake,  we  were  picking  ourselves  up  out  of  the 
gully  from  among  the  elephants ;  the  deluge  had 
also  disturbed  them,  and  they  were  on  the  move. 
In  the  darkness  we  came  in  contact  with  them  a 
number  of  times,  but  fortunately  received  no  in- 
jury. Both  were  considerably  bruised  in  washing 
over  the  rocks ;  in  the  flurry,  I  lost  my  seal-skin, 
and  got  clear  of  the  wreck  with  no  other  garment 
but  my  drawers.  My  companion  had  a  similar 
garment,  and  also  a  flannel  shirt  on  ;  I  had  hung  up 
my  shirt,  in  the  hope  it  might  partially  dry,  and  lost 
it ;  therefore  I  was  in  the  worst  predicament  of  the 
two.  We  groped  about  among  the  rocks,  hoping 
to  recover  some  of  our  clothes,  but  without  suc- 
cess ;  and  then  wandered  about  looking,  or  feeling, 
rather,  for  a  shelter  from  the  wind  that  troubled 
us  more  than  the  rain  —  but  none  was  to  be  found. 
We  had  to  move  about  as  best  we  could  the  re- 
mainder of  the  night,  climbing  over  rocks,  thrash- 
ing our  arms,  and  rubbing  each  other  to  keep  up  a 
circulation,  and  wishing  for  day.  We  thought  our 
ejectment  must  have  occurred  previous  to  midnight, 
but  it  was  the  longest  night  I  ever  knew  before  or 
since. 

When  the  day  broke  a  little,  we  found   a  shelv- 
ing rock,  under  which  one  of  us  could  crawl  out  of 


m 


iu 


:t 


j    • 

I 

4 

II 


i^ 


8S 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


the  wind,  and,  as  I  had  the  least  clotliing,  I  took 
tlie  fust  watch  below.  At  daylight  I  tried  to  get 
up,  but  found  I  could  not ;  I  was  not  weak,  but  my 
limbs  were  stiflened.  We  judged  that,  by  a  direct 
cut  across  the  mountains,  we  could  reacii  home  by 
travelling  ten  miles.  Topliam  was  in  far  better 
condition  than  I  was;  therefore  we  both  thought 
it  best  that  he  should  start  at  once  for  our  rendez- 
vous, and  send  help  to  me,  while  I  remained  un- 
der shelter  of  the  rock.  Before  he  left,  he  found 
the  elephant-skin,  and  threw  it  over  me,  under  the 
cover  of  which  I  obtained  some  warmth,  and  fell 
asleep,  while  the  storm  was  still  raging.  When  I 
awoke,  I  judged  it  was  about  the  middle  of  the  fore- 
noon ;  the  storm  had  ceased,  the  wind  had  changed, 
and  the  sun  was  shining  warm  and  pleasant.  I 
crawled  out,  and  lay  in  the  sun,  soon  finding  that  I 
was  getting  the  use  of  my  legs.  Hunting  round 
for  my  lost  garments,  I  recovered  my  moccasins, 
shirt,  and  jacket,  and  picked  up  a  bit  of  cooked 
seal,  w^ell  water-soaked,  but  I  ate  it  with  a  relish. 
By  this  time  I  felt  that  I  had  better  make  tracks  for 
home,  alone.  Without  much  exertion,  I  gained 
the  top  of  a  mountain,  from  which  I  recognized 
some  well-known  land-marks  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
cave.  I  at  once  shaped  a  course,  which  brought 
me  into  port  before  sundown  ;  the  distance  was 
just  about  ten  miles.  I  found  that  my  companion 
had  arrived  before  noon,  that  Mr.  B.  and  two  oth- 
ers had  immediately  started  ofl'  for  my  relief,  and 
following    his    directions,    had,    no    doubt,    gone 


SNl/G  IN  BED. 


89 


straight  to  tlic  spot  where  I  had  been  left ;  but  I 
had  deviated  from  the  way  to  gain  the  mountain, 
and  we  had  passed  without  soeinj^  each  other. 
The  party  returned  after  dark,  iutcnchnjj  to  resume 
the  search  for  me  the  next  morning,  but  they  hap- 
pily found  me  at  quarters,  snug  in  bed. 


^ 


i9m 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


IIM  IIM 
Ilia  IIIIIZ2 

IIM    '""^ 
2.0 


1.8 


1.25      1.4 

1.6 

M 6"     — 

► 

Photographic 

Sdences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  NY.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


i\ 


;V 


-% 


V 


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■^ 


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O 


o'iv 


o^ 


s":. 

^ 


%^  .^  4?" 


'^^ 


&< 


c?- 


Cp. 


o 


I 

t 


90 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


CHAPtER    VIII. 

BEGINNING  A  NEW  YEAR. 

AT  the  expiration  of  a  year,  the  only  articles  of 
ship-stores  served  out  were  bread,  flour,  vine- 
gar, and  molasses.  A  half  pound  of  flour,  the  same  of 
bread,  half  a  gill  of  molasses,  the  same  of  vinegar, 
were  given  out  only  once  a  week,  on  Sunday  morn- 
ing, as  long  as  they  lasted,  and  were  consumed  the 
same  day. 

As  I  was  chief  cook,  etc.,  the  materials  were  in- 
trusted to  my  skill  to  make  the  most  of.  For  the 
benefit  of  persons  who  may  hereafter  be  in  like 
reduced  circumstances,  and  also  for  the  enlighten- 
ment of  housekeepers  in  general,  I  will  put  on  rec- 
ord some  focts  about  the  preparation  of  our  Sunday 
feasts.  Mince  pies  were  always  voted  for,  therefore 
the  whole  quantity  of  flour,  say  four  pounds,  was 
made  into  pastry,  well  shortened  with  elephant  oil ; 
then  about  eight  pounds  of  elephants'  tongues, 
corned  and  boiled,  were  chopped  up  fine ;  to  this 
was  added  all  the  bread,  pounded  (four  pounds), 
all  the  molasses,  and  all  the  vinegar,  with  salt 
according  to  taste ;  all  these  ingredients,  well 
mingled  together,  all  kinds  of  spice  being  carefully 
excluded,  composed  the  mince.  The  pastry  was 
then  divided  into  sixteen  equal  parts,  and  rolled  out 
with  a  junk-bottle,  extended  to  the  roundest  and 


■■"■■■  irr'f.T  (■; 


RUDE  HEALTH. 


9^ 


>    ■Hi 


thinnest  dimensions  possible.  The  filling,  also 
divided  equally,  was  placed  'on  one-half  of  the 
circular  dough,  leaving  a  proper  margin  for  seal- 
ing ;  the  other  half  was  then  brought  over,  and  the 
two  edges  secured,  and  duly  finished  oft'  with  a 
fancy  border,  producing,  as  a  whole,  what  some 
people  would  call  *'  turnovers,"  but  which  we,  after 
they  had  remained  a  proper  time  in  the  frying-pan, 
designated  by  the  name  of  "  fried  cocked  hats." 
We  were  all  satisfied  that  "  Ma'am  Peverilly's  "  shop 
could  not  produce  their  equal. 

Medicines,  in  the  shape  of  drugs,  we  had  not  a 
particle  of,  beyond  a  few  doses  of  salts,  neither  did 
we  need  any.  We  were  on  the  island  over  two 
years ;  one  year  without  bread  or  any  other  ship- 
stores,  wholly  without  vegetables,  and,  in  fact,  with 
nothing  to  eat  but  meat,  eggs,  and  fish,  with  good 
cold  wflter  to  drink ;  each  man  averaging  full  three 
pounds  of  meat  a  day,  and  a  considerable  quantity 
of  fish-oil ;  yet  during  the  whole  time  I  do  not  re- 
member a  single  case  of  a  man  being  laid  by  for 
one  day  widi  sickness,  and,  with  the  exception  of 
one  of  our  fellows  who  got  a  severe  bite  from  a  seal, 
we  had  no  one  oft'  duty  during  the  absence  of  the 
vessel.  Being  kept  continually  on  the  move  by 
our  efficient  officer,  and  so  accustomed  to  travelling 
about  the  island,  we  were  like  goats  on  the  moun- 
tains, seldom  knowing  what  fatigue  was. 

During  the  last  year  of  our  residence  here,  our 
life  bore  some  resemblance  to  Crusoe's  on  his  island. 
We  wore  pretty  much  all  skin  dresses,  using  young 
seal-skins,  made  soft  by  being  well  rubbed  with 


S«'! 


l-^^ 


u 


^^ 


iiib 


If 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


stones  and  sand.  Our  garments  were  cut  in  the 
prevailing  fashion,  sewed  together  witli  needles 
niude  from  the  small  wing-bones  of  the  albatross, 
the  dried  sinews  of  seal  supplying  thread.  Wc 
were  also,  to  all  appearance,  "  out  of  humanity's 
reach  " ;  and  though  we  were  not  "  finishing  our 
journey  alone,"  the  tameness  of  the  birds  and  ani- 
mals was  "  shocking  to  me."  The  greatest  difier- 
ence  was,  that  Crusoe  was  solitary  and  alone,  while 
here  were  eight  Crusoes,  who  could  discuss  the 
sweets  of  solitude  among  themselves.  In  some  re- 
spects the  odds  were  in  his  favor.  "Juan  Fernan- 
dez" is  situated  in  a  mild  latitude,  with  a  delightful 
climate,  with  trees  and  bushes,  fruits  and  flowers, 
to  rejoice  the  senses.  "  Prince  Edward's  "  was  cold, 
stormy,  and  without  vegetation.;  the  only  change 
of  scenery  being  an  occasional  iceberg  drifting  by 
to  the  eastward,  and  the  migrating  of  the  amphib- 
ious inhabitants. 

How  often,  when  crossing  the  mountains  alone, 
have  I  sat  down  with  a  view  of  the  sea  and  sky 
connected  all  around  the  horizon,  and  gazed  and 
gazed,  in  the  hope  of  seeing  something  which  would 
remind  me  that  we  had  friends  whom  we  yet  might 
see,  and  that  they  were  "  sending  hopes  and  wishes 
after  us."  Sometimes,  for  a  moment,  my  heart  would 
jump,  when  an  albatross  turned  the  end  of  his  white 
tapering  wing  on  a  line  with  the  horizon,  giving 
the  appearance  of  a  distant  sail,  and  again  it  would 
sink,  when  a  sense  of  our  desolation  came  over  me. 
The  lines  ascribed  to  Selkirk,  on  Juan  Fernandez, 
I  so  often  repeated  when  a  school-boy, —  how  little 


MAKING  BEDS. 


93 


did  I  dream  they  would  ever  be  so  applicable  to 
my  own  case !  Now  how  often  I  found  myself 
uttering  them,  with  a  feeling  never  before  appre- 
ciated ! 

We  thought  our  brig  must  have  foundered,  and 
who  would  come  for  us,  or  who  know  of  our  being 
here?  The  Gen,  Gates^s  crew  might,  in  after 
years,  remember  us,  and  give  information  that  would 
lead  to  our  rescue,  but  that  was  in  the  i\x  future. 
We  had  serious  thoughts,  Vvhen  eighteen  months 
had  elapsed,  of  rising  upon  our  old  dilapidated 
boat,  decking  her  partly  over,  and  attempting  to 
fall  in  with  some  outward-bound  ship  to  India, 
whose  track  we  might  cross  by  reaching  seven  or 
eight  degrees  to  the  north  of  us  ;  but  the  attempt  to 
accomplish  this,  with  our  miserable  boat,  would 
have  been  madness.  There  were  some  who  advo- 
cated it  strongly,  and  I  think  would  have  attempted 
it,  had  relief  been  much  longer  delayed.  I  was  in 
favor  of  remaining  at  the  island,  but  I  know  not  what 
would  have  been  my  course  had  the  crisis  arrived. 

Having  much  leisure  time,  we  provided  ourselves 
with  good  feather-beds.  The  peemows  were  very 
abundant,  and  we  made  a  large  net  of  dried  strips 
of  elephant-skins,  to  set,  and  spring  on  them.  It 
was  twenty-five  feet  long,  by  ten  or  twelve  wide, 
and  worked  finely.  A  party  of  two  would  go  with 
it  to  a  large  level  beach,  about  two  miles  from  the 
cave,  where  the  birds  were  most  numerous,  and 
camp  there  until  each  one  had  provided  himself  with 
feathers  enough  for  a  bed.  Our  method  was,  to 
secure  one  side  of  the  net  firmly  to  the  ground  on 


•i'-ifi 


■m 


I  •  ,r 


!  '  'j^t 


tt^aa 


94 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


a  level  place,  with  a  long  line  at  the  two  opposite 
corners,  the  width  of  the  net  being  distended  by  a 
pole  at  each  end,  and  pieces  of  meat  being  placed 
for  bait ;  these  pieces  would  soon  be  covered  with 
the  birds,  the  lines  would  then  be  pulled  upon,  and 
the  net  sprung,  catching  twenty  or  thirty  at  a  haul. 
The  bii'ds  were  tal<en  out,  put  in  irons  by  locking 
their  wings  over  their  backs,  thrown  into  a  barrel, 
and  the  net  set  again.  They  were  always  picked 
alive,  to  keep  their  feathers  clean  ;  leaving  the  wing 
and  tail  feathers  on  the  bird,  he  was  then  released, 
and  for  a  few  days  there  would  be  lots  of  the  poor 
plucked  fellows  flying  about.  The  feathers,  when 
procured  and  dried  in  our  large  try-pot,  were  equal 
to  any  in  the  world.  This  was  unjustifiable,  and 
downright  cruelty  on  our  part,  and  I  cannot  but 
think  that  by  having  our  hands  daily  imbrued  in  the 
blood  of  animals,  our  natures  were  so  changed,  that 
acts  of  cruelty,  which,  one  year  previous,  would 
have  been  revolting  to  us,  we  now  seemed  to  enjoy. 
In  after  years  I  have  reflected  on  our  island  amuse- 
ments with  shame  and  sorrow.  There  is  no  doubt 
that  scenes  of  bloodshed  tend  to  the  debasement  of 
our  finer  feelings. 

I  have  spoken  of  t'le  presence  of  wild  hogs  on 
the  island ;  of  these,  however,  only  eight  were 
found  and  killed  by  us  while  there  ;  and  we  no 
doubt  killed  the  whole  stock.  Three  of  the  ani- 
mals were  large  boars,  wild  and  terribly  ferocious 
creatures.  The  last  one  that  was  killed  was  the 
worst  of  the  lot.  We  had  avoided  the  ugly  cus- 
tomer as  long  as  there  were  others,  as  he  exhibited 


';'"W"'''l"JTr*;rV* 


A  BOAR-HUNT. 


95 


I 


a  formidable  pair  of  tusks,  and  was  always  ready  to 
show  fight ;  but  now  he  was  the  last  of  his  tribe, 
and  we  determined  to  finish  him.  Not  that  we 
were  longing  for  his  spare-ribs  or  steaks,  but  we 
considered  him  a  dangerous  cruiser,  as  he  had,  on 
various  occasions,  given  chase  to  us,  and  exhibited 
his  ivory  in  a  way  not  pleasant  to  behold,  when 
we  were  peacefully  travelling  on  the  king's  high- 
way. On  the  appointed  day  of  the  hunt,  all  hands 
were  piped  to  make  sail  in  chase  of  the  enemy. 
The  mate  had  the  musket  loaded  with  three  balls 
(for  the  first  time  it  had  been  brought  into  requisi- 
tion). Some  of  us  were  armed  with  lances,  others 
with  seal-clubs,  and  all  with  the  never-dispensed- 
with  knife,  and  steel  in  our  belts. 

Arriving  at  the  place  where  we  expected  to 
find  the  foe,  we  extended  our  line,  each  one  being 
about  a  hundred  yards  from  his  neighbor,  and  thus 
we  swept  along  in  search.  I  was  next  the  mate ; 
we  were  crossing  a  valley,  moving  along  abreast 
of  each  other,  when,  as  I  was  jumping  off  a 
shelving  ledge  of  rocks,  the  old  Mohican  started 
out  from  under  it  about  twenty  yards  from  me.  At 
his  appearance  we  all  shouted.  The  animal  was 
startled,  and  ran  from  us  ;  I  was  nearest  to  him,  and, 
in  the  brave  pursuit,  evidently  gaining  on  the  chase  ; 
the  mate  calling  out  to  me  where  to  hit  him,  and  to 
be  sure  of  my  blow.  The  enemy,  all  at  once,  hove 
to,  with  his  head  towards  his  pursuers,  took  a  sur- 
vey of  them,  and  concluding  to  show  fight,  made 
towards  me  with  his  ivory  bow-chasers  glistening 
through  the  froth.    Just  then  I  recollectec'  that  I  had 


II 


'U 


-^fte 


/// 


t  r 


■th 


.'i.iua 


96 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


some  business  in  the  opposite  direction, and  of  course 
I  hurried  back  to  attend  to  it.  The  mute  passed  me 
in  the  direction  of  the  beast,  bestowing  a  blessing 
on  me  for  not  facing  the  brute  ;  at  the  same  time 
the  latter  changed  his  course  from  me  to  the  mate. 
The  governor  being  now  between  me  and  his  hog- 
shlp,  I  thought  it  best  to  let  them  settle  the  difficulty 
(as  it  is  always  best  to  refer  difficult  questions  to 
the  higher  powers).  As  they  rapidly  approached 
each  other,  I  was  expecting  to  see  the  deadly  mus- 
ket levelled,  but  instead  of  that  it  was  thrown 
away,  the  boar  was  grabbed  by  his  ears,  and  thrown 
on  his  side.  The  governor,  holding  on  to  his  grip  and 
placing  his  knee  on  the  animal  to  keep  him  down, 
shouted  to  me  to  come  and  put  my  knife  in  his 
throat.  Had  the  mate  missed  his  hold  by  the  ears, 
he  would  have  fared  badly.  We  did  not  eat  any 
of  that  pork,  but  the  skins  afforded  excellent  moc- 
casins.    The  tusks  were  seven  inches  long. 

"  Killers,"  as  I  have  before  said,  are  a  large, 
voracious  fish,  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  long. 
They  have  a  large  mouth  and  very  formidable  teeth  ; 
an  upright  fin  from  the  back,  a  foot  high,  may  often 
be  seen  above  the  water  when  the  back  is  not  vis- 
ible. These  monsters  prey  upon  the  elephant  and 
seal ;  they  will  lie  in  schools  close  in  by  the  beach, 
where  the  animals  are  basking  on  the  shore,  watch- 
ing their  coming  in  from  sea,  or  passing  out,  like 
the  blockading  squadron  of  an  enemy,  watching 
oft'  a  port  for  prizes.  Sometimes  they  would  get 
hold  of  a  large  bull  elephant,  who  would  turn  upon 
them  and  attempt  to  defend  himself,  but  it  was  use- 


'TT 


BUILDING  A  HOUSE. 


97 


less  —  they  would  soon  tear  him  to  pieces.  Junks 
of  his  carcass  would  be  thrown  in  the  air,  while 
the  water  for  some  distance  round,  tinged  witli 
blood,  would  be  lashed  into  foam.  I  feel  ashamed 
to  own  that  one  of  our  cruel  sports  was  to  drive 
a  large  bull  from  the  beach  into  the  jaws  of  the 
killer. 

Twenty  months  ago  the  vessel  left  us,  and  the 
prospect  of  her  returning  was  every  day  lessening. 
One  thirrr  was  certain  —  there  could  be  no  want  of 
food,  water,  or  fuel ;  if  we  got  out  of  salt,  we 
could  supply  it  by  boiling  down  salt  water.  Skins 
would  give  us  clothing,  and  to  all  appearance  we 
could  hold  out  for  years  to  come  on  this  desolate 
•  spot ;  but  the  best  consolation  we  could  muster  was 
not  very  satisfactory.  We  were  all  confirmed  in 
the  feeling  that  we  were  abandoned,  and  that  foul 
play  was  intended. 

The  cave  in  which  we  lived  we  now  looked  upon 
as  unsafe.  I  have  before  stated  that  the  roof  was 
partly  composed  of  a  rotten,  friable  stone,  which, 
after  long-continued  rains,  would  become  detached, 
and  fall  in  considerable  quantities  on  our  huts. 
We  were  apprehensive  we  might  be  crushed  by 
the  whole  roof  falling  in,  and  therefore,  as  it  ap- 
peared probable  we  should  spend  a  long  time  here, 
we  set  about  building  a  new  house  on  the  upland, 
over  the  cave.  We  dug  the  trench  for  the  founda- 
tions, and  laid  the  stone,  the  walls  were  slowly 
rising — the  building  was  intended  to  be  wholly  of 
stone  —  but  when  the  work  was  about  half  com- 
pleted, we  discontinued  it  for  awhile,  partly  for  tlie 


^•i 


•Ml 

( < 


"-!■' 


it 


98      « 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


want  of  stones  at  hand,  and  partly  for  a  change  of 
occupation. 

To  introduce  something  new  into  our  daily  rou- 
tine, we  now  separated  in  four  parties,  two  per- 
sons occupying  each  quarter  of  the  island.  We 
felt  it  to  be  possible  that  some  transient  vessel 
might  call  at  one  side  of  the  island,  while  we  were 
all  at  the  opposite  side  ;  therefore  the  gang  was 
divided,  and  each  couple  was  stationed,  at  about 
equal  distances  apart,  around  the  island.  By  this 
means  we  could  take  all  the  seal  that  came  on 
shore,  and,  at  the  same  time,  keep  a  look-out  for  a 
vessel.  The  parties  had  but  little  household  stuff 
to  remove ;  the  all-important  frying-pan,  tinder- 
box,  matches  and  salt  being  the  principal  articles. 

As  there  was  no  wood  to  frame  huts  with,  the 
parties  had  to  seek  out  the  most  sheltered  and  con- 
venient places  under  high  banks  or  cliffs,  where, 
with  the  help  of  stones,  skins,  and  tussock,  com- 
fortable habitations  were  constructed. 

The  mate  and  myself  remained  at  head-quarters. 
About  two  or  three  weeks  after  all  were  located, 
we  started  from  the  cave,  or  government  house,  as 
we  now  called  it,  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  nearest  party, 
at  a  distance  of  about  twelve  miles.  Passing  two 
or  three  days  at  this  station,  we  moved  on  to  the 
next,  and  continued  on  round  the  island,  not  omit- 
ting a  second  tramp  over  that  terrible,  cindery  road  ; 
but  this  time, Renewing  what  we  were  to  meet  with, 
we  were  better  prepared. 

Thus  a  system  of  visiting  was  establkhed  among 
the  parties ;  it  served  to  break  the  monotony,  and 


m 


SAIL,   HO! 


99 


keep  up  a  little  excitement,  and  drive  away  de- 
sponding thoughts. 

The  oil  had  been  well  coopered,  the  casks  well 
stowed,  and  protected  from  the  weather.  Daily 
and  hourly,  sharp  eyes  all  around  the  island  were 
eagerly  watching  for  the  distant  sail.  Thus  passed 
a  number  of  months ;  but  the  time  of  our  deliver- 
ance was  at  hand. 

The  mate  was  sitting  in  the  hut,  reading.  I  was 
standing  at  the  front  of  the  cave,  gazing  out  upon 
the  ocean,  the  view  of  which,  on  the  windward 
side,  was  abruptly  terminated  by  a  high,  perpen- 
dicular, bluff  point.  I  happened  to  be  looking  in 
that  direction  at  the  moment  that  an  object  appeared 
projecting  from  it  in  a  horizontal  direction.  What 
could  it  be?  A  ship's  jibboom,  and  so  close  in 
shore  ?  It  was !  It  was !  There  was  but  little 
wind,  and  it  moved  slowly.  I  tried  to  sing  out, 
"  Sail,  ho  !  "  but  was  choked  up,  and  could  not  find 
utterance.  The  head  sails  came  in  view,  then  the 
foremast,  the  crew  on  the  forecastle,  and  one  at  the 
mast-head,  on  the  look-out.  The  main-mast  opened 
out,  and  the  quarter-deck,  with  one  on  it,  whom  I 
at  once  recognized  from  his  rapid,  short  step,  to  be 
old  Sam  Edes  himself.  I  rushed  into  the  hut: 
speak  I  could  not ;  but  I  caught  hold  of  the  mate 
and  pulled  him  to  the  door.  The  man  thought  I 
was  crazy,  and  so  I  was.  Soon  he  was,  also.  We 
both  looked  foi"  a  minute,  and  were  convinced  there 
was  no  mistake  about  it.  There  was  the  Pickei'' 
ing^  with  the  Stars  and  Stripes  at  her  peak,  just 
heaving-to  with  main  top-sail  aback,  in  front  of 


I 


i 

■  111 


» it 

I  ■'  .[I 


'Ml 


lOO 


FOhP  AND  AFT, 


our  cove.  Satisfied  of  the  fact,  we  both  laughed, 
cried,  danced,  sang,  and  cut  up  many  ridiculous 
capers,  which  were  answered  by  the  waving  of 
hats  and  the  cheers  of  those  on  board.  The  boat 
was  soon  lowered,  and  the  Captain  came  on  shore. 
When  within  hail,  seeing  but  two  of  us,  he  shouted, 
"Where  are  the  rest  of  you?"  The  response  of 
"All  alive  and  well,"  we  thought  was  not  satisfac- 
tory to  him,  which  opinion  was  confirmed  by  events 
that  followed  in  the  latter  part  of  the  voyage. 
However,  congratulations  were  soon  passed,  and  I 
was  started  off  to  call  the  gangs  in.  I  travelled 
the  twelve  miles  with  a  light  heart  and  lighter 
heels.  One  man  returned  with  me  the  same  night ; 
the  other  went  in  the  opposite  direction,  to  sum- 
mon the  two  remaining  parties.  I  got  back  to  the 
cave  about  midnight.  Mr.  B.  was  alone  ;  the  boat 
had  returned  to  the  brig,  and  she  had  hauled  off  for 
the  night.  Nobody  on  the  island  slept  that  night. 
Mr.  B.  had  been  on  board,  and  had  so  much  to  tell 
us,  that  morning  dawned  before  the  budget  was 
emptied.  ' 

The  Captain  gave,  as  a  reason  for  not  coming 
for  us  sooner,  "  that  he  feared  we  would  not  have 
a  cargo  read}^,  and  he  knevy  we  could  not  starve. 
He  had  been  well  employed  with  the  vessel,  and 
making  money  so  fast,  that  even  if  we  had  not  col- 
lected any  oil,  he  had  made  a  good  voyage  for  us," 
etc.  We  believed  him,  although  not  satisfied  with 
the  excuse  ;  we  were  too  glad  to  got  off  the  miser- 
able, desolate  opot,  to  make  any  fuss  about  it. 

The  next  moi  ung  the  vessel  came  in  apnii,  and 


TAKING  IN  CARGO. 


lOi 


s 


now  cama  to  anchor  near  the  kelp.  During  her 
absence,  a  heavy  anchor  and  a  long  chain  had  been 
procured  for  special  use  at  the  island,  with  which 
it  was  hoped  the  vessel  would  hold  on  at  anchor 
while  loading.  Therefore,  all  being  made  snug 
aloft,  with  top-gallant  yards  and  stiidding-sail  booms 
sent  down,  a  long  scope  of  cable  wj  paid  out,  and 
the  yards  pointed  to  the  wind,  with  preparations 
made  to  slip  the  cable,  if  nece^>  ay.  All  the  boats 
1  nd  all  hands  were  industriously  employed  in  raft- 
ing off  and  hoisting  in  the  casks  of  oil.  The  ves- 
sel had  a  ground  tier  of  casks  all  stowed  in  the 
hold,  ready  to  be  filled.  We  rolled  our  full  casks 
to  the  beach,  and  making  a  raft  of  about  twenty 
of  them,  they  were  towed  alongside,  and  hoisted 
in  ;  then  the  oil  was  started  into  a  large  tub  placed 
over  the  main  hatch,  with  a  long  hose  attached, 
and  conveyed  to  the  empty  casks  below.  This  was 
very  hard  work,  but  we  kept  at  it  as  long  as  day- 
light lasted.  At  night,  the  decks  were  covered 
with  casks  to  be  emptied,  and  the  watches  were 
occupied  during  the  night  in  starting  oil  and  stow- 
ing down. 

We  were  thus  employed  for  two  days,  when  it 
began  to  blow  hard  from  the  land,  cutting  off  all 
communication  with  the  shore.  We  now  directed 
all  our  efforts  to  maintain  our  anchorage  ;  the  wind 
increasing,  with  white  squalls,  we  let  go  a  second 
anchor,  giving  her  the  whole  Vngth  of  two  chain 
cables,  being  over  two  hundred  fathoms,  and  hoped 
to  hold  on,  but  the  squalls  struck  her  with  such 
violence  that  the  brig,  being  very  light,  and  high 


m 


m 


I'         M 


t 


<i>i  I'M! 


M         i 


^m. 


nA-f 


I02 


FOBE  AND  AFT. 


out  of  water,  started  the  anchors,  and  away  we 
went,  drifting  out  to  sea.  The  water  was  smooth 
while  under  the  lee  of  the  island,  and,  by  working 
hard,  we  got  the  oil  on  deck  secured  before  we  had 
drifted  into  rough  water.  Some  of  the  storm-sails 
were  set,  to  steady  the  vessel,  and  all  hands  were 
allowed  to  turn  in  for  four  hours  to  get  a  little  rest, 
before  attempting  anything  with  the  anchors,  which 
were  now  hanging  at  the  bows  one  hundred  fath- 
oms deep. 

The  allotted  time  passed,  the  shrill  notes  of  the 
boatswain's  whistle,  and  the  summons  of  "  all 
hands  to  man  the  windlass,"  roused  us  again  to  se- 
vere toil.  The  immense  weight  of  the  two  anchors 
and  chains,  and  their  being  foul  of  each  other, 
made  it  difficult  for  us  to  bring  them  to  the  surface  ; 
with  all  the  purchases  we  could  bring  to  bear,  and 
with  all  hands  heaving  at  the  windlass  and  cap- 
stan for  twenty-four  hours,  we  only  got  in  about  as 
many  fathoms  of  cable.  We  were  then  allowed 
four  hours'  sleep,  and  our  labor  was  renewed.  We 
did  not  succeed  in  getting  the  anchors  to  the  bows 
until  the  third  day,  when,  of  course,  the  island  was 
out  of  sight.  Sail  was  now  made  on  the  vessel, 
so  that  the  next  day  we  got  back  to  anchor  again, 
when  only  one  anchor  was  let  go  ;  we  were  satis- 
fied of  the  fact  that  the  anchors  would  not  hold  in 
the  strong  winds  that  were  of  so  frequent  occur- 
rence here,  and,  as  we  probably  must  get  blown  off 
several  times  before  completing  our  lading,  it  was 
best  to  have  only  one  anchor  to  heave  up. 

This  time  we  remained  at  anchor  a  little  longer, 


\ 


TWO  MONTHS   OF  TOIL. 


103 


and  got  on  board  perhaps  one-third  of  the  cargo, 
when  it  came  on  to  blow  again,  and  again  we 
drifted  to  sea.  This  was  followed  by  another  hard 
day's  work  at  the  windlass.  This  experience  was 
repeated  again  and  again  for  about  two  months ; 
all  hands  from  the  island  would  hurry  on  board 
when  the  vessel  broke  adrift  to  help  get  her  back. 
To  us  landsmen  the  sea  duties  came  back  butt- 
end  first,  but  we  soon  became  familiar  with  them. 
Sometimes  the  vessel,  having  drifted  a  long  way 
off  by  the  continuance  of  the  gale,  would  be  a 
week  in  regaining  her  anchorage,  and  then,  after 
one  day's  work  with  the  shore,  away  to  sea  again 
for  another  week.  We  were  fast  being  used  up. 
Officers  and  men  were  tired  out ;  with  our  bleed- 
ing hands  and  sore  feet,  we  were  hardly  able  to 
reef  a  top-sail.  We  wished  the  island,  and  all  on 
it,  would  sink,  but  it  was  not  likely  to  do  so,  and 
another  week's  work  of  this  kind  would  be  past 
endurance. 


a 


!iil 


I*' 


m 


mm  ! 


104 


FOJ^E  AND  AFT. 


CHAPTER    IX. 


ONCE   MORE   AT   SEA. 


u 


V     I 


LYING-TO  in  a  gale  of  wind,  we  got  up  a  peti- 
tion, headed  by  the  officers,  and  signed  by  all 
hands,  stating  to  the  Captain  our  miserable  situ- 
ation, and  requesting  him,  the  next  time  we  were 
blown  off,  not  to  return  ;  stating,  also,  that  all  were 
willing  to  relinquish  their  share  of  what  might  re- 
main behind.  Our  request  was  complied  with  ;  and, 
on  returnmg  to  the  island,  we  removed  to  the  ves- 
sel all  of  the  most  valuable  property,  and  then 
kept  to  work  on  the  oil  as  long  as  the  weather  per- 
mitted. Another  gale  soon  occurred,  and  we  drifted 
away,  to  return  no  more.  Heaving  up  the  anchor 
with  a  will  for  the  last  time,  we  soon  bore  away, 
with  all  our  canvas  spread,  for  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  leaving  behind,  on  the  island,  about  sixty 
casks  of  oil,  the  try-pots,  coolers,  and  long-boat, 
and  thanking  the  Lord  when  they  were  out  of 
sight.  I  was  employed  aloft  as  the  island  was  fast 
disappearing,  and,  when  it  was  gone,  I  felt  that  it 
was  one  of  the  few  places  I  had  visited  that  I  never 
wished  to  behold  again. 

Thou  treeless,  verdureless,  desolate  Isle  of  the 
Ocean !  when  discovered  by  Captain  Cook,  and 
claimed  by  him  as  a  British  possession,  if  you  did 
not  add   anything  to   the   wealth  and   power   of 


\ 


T3S-VX 


A  PLACE  OF  PENITENCE. 


105 


England,  neither  did  you  then  draw,  nor  have  you 
since  drawn  from  its  treasury  for  your  support,  and 
there  is  no  probability  you  ever  will ;  neither  will 
you  be  a  "  bone  of  contention  '*  among  the  nations. 
To  this  spot,  the  reverse  of  Heber's  lines  is  appli- 
cable : 


-: 


"Where  every  prospect  pleases, 
And  only  man  is  vile." 

Taken  from  any  point  of  view,  if  there  was  any 
pleasant  prospect  to  be  found,  we  never  found  it. 
The  absence  of  man,  and  his  vileness,  now  coin- 
pletes  the  picture.  We  are  told  that  every  created 
thing  has  its  uses.  Prince  Edward's  Island  is  no 
exception  to  this  rule.  .Some  of  its  uses  may  be 
named.  It  is  a  good  place  for  drifting  icebergs  to 
bump  against  and  break  their  heads,  which  some- 
times occurs.  It  is  a  good  place  for  a  man  to  flee 
to  who  wishes  to  get  out  of  the  reach  of  his  cred- 
itors, or  the  clutches  of  the  law,  for  here  he  could 
live  without  cash  or  credit  on  blubber  and  birds, 
with  a  never-failing  supply  of  excellent  water. 
Here  he  would  also  find  time  and  space  to  repent 
of  his  transgressions,  and  form  good  resolutions  for 
the  future. 

We  had  been  so  long  without  bread,  that  we 
were  some  weeks  on  shipboard  before  we  could 
relish  it  again.  It  was  so  with  regard  to  most  of 
the  ship's  stores,  coffee  excepted.  Coffee  was  the 
greatest  luxury  to  which  we  returned.  To  this 
'  day  the  absence  of  bread  would  be  no  deprivation 


I     u 


'  \4 


io6 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


HJ 


to  me.  A  hunter,  or  frontiersman,  cares  for  no 
luxury  beyond  fresh  meat,  coffee,  and  salt ;  so  it 
was  with  us  on  this  island  ;  and  we  consumed  vast 
quantities  of  the  grossest,  kind  of  meat  without 
vegetables  of  any  kind ;  yet  all  continued  healthy 
and  strong  throughout  our  two  years'  residence 
there. 

^V'e  were  now  fairly  under  weigh,  and  at  sea, 
with  the  expectation  that  after  a  short  stay  at  the 
Cape,  for  the  purpose  of  repairs  and  supplies,  we 
should  be  homeward-bound,  and  in  the  course  of 
three  months  should  see  old  Boston  again,  after  a 
three  years'  absence.  But  these  pleasing  anticipa- 
tions were  not  to  be  realized.  "Foul  Play"  was 
laying  his  plans,  soon  to  be  developed.  While  the 
vessel  had  been  absent  from  us  she  had  been  con- 
stantly employed  in  freighting  between  the  Isle  of 
France,  Bourbon,  Madagascar,  and  other  places, 
doing  a  good  business. 

On  one  of  her  trips  from  the  island  of  Rodrigues 
to  Bourbon,  with  a  full  cargo  of  cocoa-nuts,  she  fell 
in  with  a  Dutch  74-gun  ship  in  distress,  from  Ba- 
tavia,  bound  for  Holland,  with  the  Governor  of  Ba- 
tavia  and  his  family,  and  a  large  number  of  invalids, 
on  board.  It  was  the  Admiral's  ship.  She  had 
been  partly  dismasted  in  a  gale,  and  was  leaking 
badly.  The  crew  were  worn  out  at  the  pumps ; 
there  were  not  able  men  enough  on  board  to  work 
them  and  manage  the  ship,  and,  with  the  prospect  of 
soon  going  to  the  bottom  if  they  remained  on  the 
ship,  they  very  naturally  wished  to  be  taken  off. 
A  flag  of  distress  was  hoisted  on  the  approach  of 


A  DUTCH  PRIZE. 


107 


our  vessel,  and  Captain  Edes  bore  awaytowaids 
her.  On  boarding  the  ship,  our  Captain  contracted 
with  the  Admiral  to  take  off  the  crew  and  passen- 
gers, and  land  them  at  the  Isle  of  P^rancc  for  $25,000 ; 
also  to  be  paid  for  what  cargo  he  should  have  to 
throw  overboard  to  make  room  for  their  reception 
on  board. 

Accordingly,  on  the  return  of  our  boat,  all  the 
cocoa-nuts  were  thrown  overboard  from  between 
decks,  and  the  entire  company  of  the  ship  were 
transferred  to  our  vessel,  where  the  Governor's 
lady  died  a  few  hours  after  her  removal.  No  pri- 
vate or  public  property  was  allowed  to  be  saved 
unless  we  could  save  the  whole.  Such  were  the 
Admiral's  orders.  It  was  remarked  that  our  boats' 
crews,  when  going  to  the  wreck,  were  clad  with  but 
few  garments ;  on  their  return  it  was  very  evident 
that  considerable  quantities  of  rich  underclothing 
increased  their  rotundity.  The  ship  was  named 
the  Admiral  Avis.  She  was  set  on  fire  by  the  com- 
mander himself  when  the  last  boat  left  the  ship, 
and  before  our  vessel  was  out  of  sight  the  fire 
reached  the  magazine,  and  she  blew  up. 

The  Pickering  entered  the  harbor  of  Port  Louis 
in  about  ten  days,  with  the  Dutchmen  packed  about 
as  close  as  herrings  in  a  keg,  under  deck  and  on  it. 
The  rigging,  the  tops,  and  the  bowsprit,  were  also 
covered  with  them.  Our  vessel  was  entirely  clear 
of  them  in  fifteen  days,  and  for  his  services  Captain 
Edes  said  he  had  bills  on  the  Dutch  government  for 
$27,000,  a  share  of  which,  and  of  all  other  moneys 
made  during  the  two  years,  belonged  to  the  orig- 


{'■         '':   11 

'  ■■ 

■Va 

j-                 ;fla 

!!      "■      ;'.                     ■   Ji 

1                       '       \  PHI 

;        -     ^  US 

,ili              ^  ^!  11 

■ :    '  i         1  ■Bl 

.  ■»'■ 

'                *  W 

n            1  j 

\                         '    '   <'   'A 

1                          .J 

t              '               '    ■   ■ 

I     :    :!■; 

■ 

Iif 

I.     :     M 

^1 

il 

■            '  t-fii 

'W 

I         '     '         ■  '■.!# 

1 

k        i     -^l|| 

H    .       :  [|i 

» 

i 


i\ 


Mi 


M 
I 


1 08 


rORJS  AND  AFT. 


inal  crew,  or  such  of  them  as  still  remained  by  the 
vessel ;  and  he  assured  us  that,  with  our  oil  and 
skins,  we  were  making,  and,  in  fact,  had  made, 
a  good  voyage. 

Of  the  original  crew  which  left  the  island  in  the 
vessel,  only  three  returned.  Of  the  others,  none 
had  died,  but  from  bad  treatment  they  had  been 
driven  to  desert,  thus  lessening  the  number  of  those 
who  would  share  the  proceeds  of  the  voyage. 

We  arrived  at  Simons  (or  False  Bay),  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  in  about  three  weeks,  where  there  is 
quite  a  neat  English  town,  the  government  having 
a  dock-yard  and  naval  depot  at  this  port.  There 
were  V  lying  in  the  bay  some  half-dozen  transport 
ships  which  had  brought  out  troops  from  Europe. 
Some  had  been  landed  at  St.  Helena,  to  take  care 
of  Napoleon,  and  others  yet  on  board  were  des- 
tined for  India.  As  our  much  weather-worn  and 
badly  chafed  vessel  threaded  her  way  through  the 
fleet,  in  beating  up  to  her  anchorage,  the  poops  of 
each  ship  were  covered  with  officers  and  their 
wives,  looking  with  astonishment  at  the  dilapidated 
appearance  of  our  vessel  and  crew  (the  one  cor- 
responding with  the  other).  "We  could  hear  their 
laughter  and  jeers  respecting  us  and  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  at  our  peak,  before  any  words  were  ex- 
changed. Our  Captain  was  much  nettled,  and  we 
all  shared  in  his  indignation.  One  of  the  "  lobster- 
back  "  gentlemen  at  length  hailed  us  with,  "Cap- 
tain, where  are  you  from?"  The  old  man  replied 
in   no   very  pleasant  tone,  with  the   simple  word 


EARTHLY  ANGELS. 


109 


**  Desolation."  "  Oh,  ah,  yes !  "  replied  the  officer ; 
"  I  should  think  you  were." 

After  the  brig  anchored,  and  the  sails  were  furled, 
the  boat  was  manned  to  land  the  Captain.  I  was 
the  first  in  the  boat,  being  eager  again  to  put  ray 
foot  on  civilized  territory.  We  landed  on  the  beach, 
with  orders  to  remain  by  the  boat  until  the  Cap- 
tain returned.  The  town  and  its  surroundings 
were  beautiful  in  appearance  ;  all  the  people  on 
shore,  even  the  soldiers  and  negroes  who  were 
loafing  on  the  beach,  seemed  to  be  dressed  splen- 
didly, and  so  they  were  in  comparison  with  our- 
selves, or  any  mortals  we  had  seen  for  years. 

While  we  were  feasting  our  eyes  on  the  new 
objects  around  us,  I  was  startled  by  Wilson,  one  of 
the  island  gang,  shouting  out,  "  Hallo,  Bill,  look 
here !  by  the  hooky,  here  comes  Petticoats  and 
Bonnet;  ain't  that  splendid?  And  what  under 
heavens  has  she  got  towing  astern?"  I  looked, 
and,  sure  enough,  there  was  the  "woman  form 
divine  "  taking  a  stroll  on  the  beach,  leading  a  little 
child.  I  don't  know  how  angels  look,  but  if  we 
had  been  told  that  here  was  one  just  fallen  from 
the  skies,  I  think  we  should  have  believed  it.  For 
about  three  years  our  eyes  had  not  beheld  such  a 
sight,  and  we  were  both  enraptured.  We  followed 
her  at  a  respectful  distance,  until  we  dared  go  no 
further  from  the  boat,  and  ther  gazed  at  the  re- 
ceding forms  as  if  it  was  the  departure  of  celestial 
beings.  The  woman  herself  appeared  to  us  ele- 
gantly dressed,  and  of  wondrous  beauty, —  the 
child,  too,  was  a  wonder,  for  we   had  forgotten  a 


1 


'ri 


•  ■ 


1 


It  \: 


J I 


no 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


!i 


human  being  could  be  so  very  small.  After  a  few 
days,  and  after  we  had  seen  specimens  of  a  higher 
character,  we  again  met  with  her.  She  then  ap- 
peared to  us,  in  comparison,  a  soldier's  drab  or  a 
camp  follower. 

About  a  week  after  this,  the  Captain,  who  had 
been  across  to  Cape  Town,  and  returned,  gave 
orders  to  get  under  weigh  and  proceed  to  Table 
Bay,  where  we  arrived  on  the  second  day.  Now 
the  plot  was  to  be  unfolded. 

The  cargo  was  sold,  and  landed  here ;  the  vessel 
was  heeled,  caulked  in  lier  upper  works,  and  was 
being  refitted  throughout,  when  we  were  informed 
that  the  brig  was  not  going  home,  but  to  the  East 
Indies ;  that  new  articles  would  be  drawn  up  for 
us  to  sign ;  that  we  could  not  be  discharged  here, 
but  must  go  the  new  voyage.  Thus  our  hopes  of 
being  homeward-bound  vanished  into  tbin  air. 

According  to  the  contract  signed  at  Boston, 
wherever  the  cargo  should  be  sold  there  the  voy- 
age should  terminate  ;  but  we  were  bound  to  bring 
the  vessel  home.  The  crew  were  not  entitled  to  a 
settlement  until  she  arrived  in  the  United  States. 
Here  was  a  pretty  fix.  We  had  accomplished  the 
object  of  the  voyage,  all  but  returning  home,  and 
this  we  were  very  desirous  of  doing ;  but  to  insist 
upon  it  that  we  should  now  commence  a  n'ew  and 
indefinite  voyage  to  India,  or  wherever  the  caprices 
of  a  tyrant  might  carry  us,  was  the  height  of  cru- 
elty and  injustice.  Our  spirits  had  been  buoyant 
to  this  time   with   the  hope   of  soon   seeing   our 


REBELLION, 


III 


friends   and   homes,  and   now  how  bitterly   were 
these  hopes  to  be  dashed  I 

"The  hope  of  return  is  the  joy  of  a  tar; 

'Tis  his  helm,  his  compass,  his  guide,  and  his  star; 

'Tis  impressed  on  his  bosom  the  moment  he  sails; 

It  shortens  long  nights,  and  it  quickens  light  gales; 
_,  The  dull  midnight  watch  it  sends  limping  away, 

And  brightens  new  hopes  with  the  dawn  of  each  day." 


I  had  made  up  my  mind  that  I  would  not  go 
from  that  port  in  the  vessel  unless  she  was  bound 
home.  The  brig  being  nearly  ready  for  sea,  the 
Captain  had  the  crew  go  on  shore,  two  at  a  time, 
on  liberty,  and  meet  him  at  his  room,  to  get  their 
advance  wages.  I  had  openly  declared  that  I 
would  not  re-ship,  and  it  had  come,  to  the  ears  of 
the  Captain  ;  therefore  I  was  to  be  of  the  last  pair 
to  have  liberty  to  go  on  shore,  and  the  mate  was 
ordered  not  to  let  me  leave  the  vessel,  for  any  pur- 
pose, until  he  sent  for  me. 

Wilson  and  myself  were  in  the  anchor  watch,  by 
ourselves,  at  night ;  we  pledged  each  other  that 
come  what  would,  we  would  leave  the  vessel. 
Two  by  two,  beginning  with  the  under  officers,  the 
Captain  had  received  the  crew  at  his  room,  and  by 
letting  them  have  a  liberal  amount  of  money,  with 
permission  to  remain  several  days  on  shore  to  spend 
it,  being  first  threatened,  if  they  objected,  they 
were  cajoled  into  signing  articles  for  a  new  voyage  ; 
whereas,  previous  to  going  on  shore,  they  declared 
they  would  not  be  forced  to  do  so.  These  doings 
served  only  to  strengthen  my  silent  determination 


112 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


to  resist;  but  I  was  the  only  boy  on  board,  and 
the  idea  of  my  resisting  the  tyrant  was  hooted  at. 

The  order  at  last  came  to  the  mate  "  to  send  Wil- 
son on  shore,  and  boy  Bill,  if  he  would  sign  the  ar- 
ticles." Wilson  was  not  suspected  or  questioned 
by  the  mate,  but  I  was,  and  gave  a  flat  refusal ; 
consequently  I  was  to  be  detained  on  board,  with 
the  alternative  presented  me  of  complying  with  the 
rascality  of  the  Captain  or  going  to  prison.  I  pre- 
ferred the  latter,  but  escaped  both.  During  the  day 
I  was  keenly  on  the  watch  for  means  to  escape  to 
the  shore.  The  mate,  I  thought,  sympathized  with 
me,  and  did  not  intend  to  watch  me  closely ;  so 
while  he  was  at  dinner,  in  the  cabin,  I  slipped 
cautiously  into  a  small  bwv*t  belonging  to  the  shore, 
which  happened  to  be  alongside,  and  soon  joined 
Wilson,  who  was  on  t^ie  look-out  for  me. 

Wilson  had  called  at  the  Captain's  office,  and 
actually  got  to  windward  of  the  villain.  He  had 
received  his  money,  and  a  written  permission  to  re- 
main on  liberty  for  two  days.  Wine  and  fruit 
were  also  offered  him,  and  accepted.  The  fine 
voyage  in  prospect  was  expatiated  upon,  and  the 
articles  produced  for  his  signature,  but  it  was  not 
to  be  had.  "  He  was  willing,"  he  said,  "  to  fulfil 
all  the  articles  he  had  signed,  but  now  wanted  to 
go  home,  and  not  to  India,  and  he  should  decline 
the  proposed  new  contract."  "  Then  return  the 
money  and  go  on  board  immediately,  or  I  will  put 
you  in  the  calaboose."  But  Wilson  chose  to  hold 
on  to  the  money  and  liberty  ticket,  and  walked  out 
of  the  room,  followed  by  curses  loud  and  deep. 


;    ! 


i..l!lllllllJU«JUllUJ.«J. 


BEARDING   THE  LION. 


"3 


If 


\  now  tried  my  luck,  and  boldly  presented  my- 
self to  the  skipper,  who  received  me  with  a  grim 
smile.  "  So,  my  lad,  you  have  come  to  your  bear- 
ings, have  you?"  The  document  was  then  oflered 
for  my  signature.  I  had  hoped  that  the  money, 
with  the  wine  and  fruit,  would  come  first  (as  in 
the  case  of  Wilson),  but  he  was  not  to  be  caught  a 
second  time.  I  respectfully  stated  "  that  I  wanted 
to  go  home ;  I  did  not  want  to  leave  the  vessel 
here,  but  I  would  not  commence  a  new  voyage 
until  the  old  one  was  ended  and  settled  up." 
*'  How,  then,  did  you  get  on  shore,  after  my  giving 
such  orders  to  the  mate  respecting  you?"  I  told 
him  by  what  means  I  came  there,  and  ended  by 
saying  "  that  I  would  not  go  on  board  again." 
*'  Then  you  will  receive  no  money  from  me,  and  if 
you  are  not  on  board  by  sundown,  you  shall  be 
arrested  and  impris6ned." 

Joining  Wilson,  we  went  together  to  t*^**  Fiscal, 
the  highest  civil  officer  at  Cape  Town.  We  told 
him  our  "  plain,  unvarnished  tale,"  and  requested 
to  have  justice  done.  At  this  time  there  was  no 
trade  between  the  United  States  and  this  port. 
Our  flag  was  seldom  seen  in  the  bay,  consequently 
there  was  no  American  Consulate  at  the  Cape. 

On  the  cession  of  the  Cape  to  the  British  by  the 
Dutch,  some  ten  years  previous,  the  civil  adminis- 
tration of  affairs  was  left  in  the  hands  of  the  latter 
until  (I  think)  1825,  while  the  former  held  militaiy 
possession. 

By  the  police  regulations  of  the  place,  if  any 
sailor  remained  on  shore  after  gun-fire,  at  sua- 
8 


'  '\n 


W 


riT 


!1':  ! 


\ha  1  f 


Sl'i  I 


i.i 


1  i 


a  i! 


114 


FOr.^  AND  AFT. 


down,  without  a  written  permission  from  his  Cap- 
tain, countersigned  by  the  Captain  of  Police,  he 
was  liable  to  arrest  and  impris6nment  until  released 
by  his  Captain.  The  charge  was  one  dollar  for 
arrest,  and  an  additional  dollar  each  day  for  his  de- 
tention and  support.  Here  he  might  be  kept  any 
length  of  time,  at  the  discretion  of  the  Captain. 
The  same  regulations  were  in  force  in  regard  to  the 
soldiers  who  might  be  absent  from  their  barracks 
after  gun-tire  ;  in  consequence  of  which,  collisions 
frequently  occurred  between  the  English  soldiers 
and  sailors  on  the  one  part,  and  the  Dutch  police 
on  the  other. 

Most  imexpectedly,  we  were  listened  to  by  the 
Fiscal,  and  the  Captain  was  summoned  to  appear 
at  his  office  the  next  day,  bringing  the  contract 
with  him.  A  pass  to  remain  on  shore  over  night 
was  granted  to  us,  and,  with  Wilson,  I  retired  frona 
the  office,  much  cheered  by  the  prospect. 

Next  morning,  at  the  appointed  hour,  we  were 
at  the  office,  to  hear  our  fate.  The  Captain  soon 
appeared,  and  on  seeing  us  could  not  restrain  a 
look  of  indignation.  Turning  to  the  Fiscal  in  the 
blandest  manner  possible,  he  stated  that  those  two 
rascals  were  deserters  from  his  ship,  and  requested 
that  they  should  be  arrested,  sent  on  board,  and 
he  would  pay  all  expenses. 

"  Have  you  the  contract  by  which  you  claim  to 
hold  these  men?"  asked  the  Judge.  "  If  so,  let  me 
.see  it." 

It  was  produced,  and  carefully  read  aloud.     The 


1^'  m 


A    WISE   YOUNG  JUDGII. 


"5 


Judge  then  stated  the  case,  in  about  the  following 
words : 

'*  Captain,  by  the  terms  of  this  document  you 
cannot  retain  these  men  against  their  will,  as  you 
ore  rommcncinf^  a  new  voyage  instead  of  returning 
to  America.  You  must,  then,  give  them  a  full  dis- 
charge. I  also  perceive  that  they  cannot  claim 
their  pay  until  they  return  to  the  United  States; 
therefore  you  must  give  each  a  certificate  that  he 
is  entitled  to  a  share  of  all  the  earnings  of  the 
vessel  to  the  present  time,  accorr'  ng  to  the  terms 
of  the  contract.  You  are  not  compelled  to  ad- 
vance them  money  here,  but  you  must  pay  their 
board  while  they  are  without  a  ship.  And,  fiuther, 
by  tlie  laws  of  this  colony  you  cannot  discharge  a 
man  to  remain  on  shore  here  ;  therefore  you  must 
get  a  berth  for  them  in  another  ship,  and  become 
security  for  their  month's  advance,  before  you  will 
be  permitted  to  leave  this  port;  and  I  now  require 
your  assurance,  before  leaving  this  office,  that  you 
will  do  so." 

The  old  tiger  had  to  submit.  When  he  left  the 
office  we  were  told  to  report  there  daily  until  all 
requirements  were  accomplished.  We  celebrated 
our  victory  that  afternoon  at  "  Cline  Pete's,"  with 
a  good  dinner,  and  in  a  glass  of  cheap  Cape  drank 
to  the  health  of  our  "  most  righteous  judge."  "  A 
Daniel  had  come  to  judgment,"  surely. 

W"e  could  h:i  lly  realize  that  we  were  reposing 
that  night  in  pe'  .cct  security  on  shore,  and  in  com- 
fortable quarters,  with  no  persecuting  captain,  or 
rascally  police,  to  molest  or  make  us  afraid.    I  have, 


\ 


. 


,!f- 


fma 


s  \t 


I 


n6 


FOJfE  AND  AFT. 


ever  since  that  legal  decision,  held  an  exalted  opin- 
ion of  Dutch  justice. 

After  a  few  daj-s  we  were  informed  by  the  skip- 
per that  a  chance  was  to  be  had  in  an  old  coasting 
schooner  belonging  to  the  colony,  under  English 
colors.  It  was  some  gratification  to  us  that  he  was 
obliged  to  go  with  us  to  the  owners,  give  us  a  good 
character  as  seamen  and  otherwise,  become  security 
for  our  advance,  and  witness  our  signing  the  articles. 
We  received,  also,  our  certificates  to  the  owners  in 
Boston,  our  American  protections,  and  went  on 
board  to  duty.  In  a  day  or  two  the  Pickering 
sailed  for  Batavia,  and  elsewhere. 


m 


■fiyrig.  ■lUM.WWMW'UWI 


THE  FEJEE  MERMAID. 


117 


CHAPTER  X. 


THE   FEJEE    MERMAID. 


,  f 


AND  now  I  will  relate  the  conclusion  of  the 
foregoing  voyage,  and  follow  out  the  history 
of  Captain  Edes,  as  I  learned  it  from  his  chief 
officer  and  the  owners  of  the  Pickerings  on  my 
return  to  Boston,  about  three  years  after  this. 

After  visiting  various  ports  in  India  and  China, 
the  vessel  was  sold  to  a  Dutch  house  in  the  Island 
of  Java,  and  tlie  crew  turned  adrift  without  their 
pay.  Captain  Edes  had  made,  or  purchased,  a 
something  which  he  called  a  "  Fejee  Mermaid." 
It  was  said  to  be  the  skeleton  of  the  upper  part  of 
a  female  baboon,  connected  with  the  tail  of  a  fish, 
neatly  put  together  and  furred  all  over  alike,  after 
the  best  manner  of  John  Chinaman,  who  is  well 
known  to  be  a  perfect  imitator.  This  production 
Captain  Edes  took  with  him  to  London.  It  was  there 
examined  by  the  board  of  Surgeon's  Hall,  and  pro- 
nounced to  be  a  genuine  mermaid.  He  was  offered 
a  large  sum  for  it,  but  declined  selling  ;  after  taking 
it  over  the  continent  for  exhibition,  he  returned  with 
it  to  London. 

In  the  meantime,  the  only  remittance  which  had 
been  made  to  the  owner  in  Boston,  of  the  earnings 
of  the  vessel  for  the  whole  voyage,  was  $6,000. 
Mr.  EUery,  the  owner,  now  satisfied  that  the  action 


-I'i 


u 


.J 


I    ii 


1  '1  '    , 

I  ih'ii 


m  I 


1:1' 

liii 


ill  ^j  I 


ii8 


J!'ORE  AND  AFT. 


of  Edes  meant  extreme  barratry,  went  out  under 
an  assumed  name  to  arrest  him  in  England.  He 
met  him  soon  after  his  arrival  there,  but  Captain 
Edes  could  not  remember  him  as  a  person  he  had 
ever  seen.  Mr.  Ellery  had  him  arrested.  The 
mermaid,  being  all  the  property  he  could  find,  was 
attached,  and  a  chancery  suit  commenced.  This 
was  decided  in  favor  of  Mr.  Ellery.  The  owner- 
shio  of  the  mermaid  was  also  transferred  to  him, 
he  paying  the  cost  of  suit,  £7,000.  During  the 
progress  of  the  suit,  the  animal,  or  manufactured 
article,  was  subjected  to  a  more  critical  examina- 
tion, and  declared  an  imposition.  The  mermaid 
was  brought  to  New  York  by  Mr.  Ellery,  and  pre- 
sented to  Barnum  ;  and  tb's  is  the  history  of  the 
Fejee  Mermaid  which  has  excited  so  much  curiosity 
throughout  the  country.  ;     -.'•.'..■* 

Captain  Edes  had  appropriated  the  whole  pro- 
ceeds of  the  voyage  to  his  own  use.  The  oil,  seal- 
skins, freights,  the  Dutch  drafts,  everything,  had 
been  used  by  him  in  dissipation.  He  was  a  sensu- 
alist in  every  sense  of  the  word,  and  a  notorious 
gambler.  It  was  reported,  and  believed,  that 
high  military  officers  at  Cape  Town  pocketed  the 
entire  proceeds  of  our  two  years'  labor  and  exile 
on  the  island,  while  we,  who  labored  and  suffered 
to  collect,  and  in  reality  were  the  principal  owners 
of  it,  never  received  a  single  doll<".r.  On  my  re- 
turn, after  an  absence  of  over  six  years,  I  presented 
my  claim  to  the  owner,  and  was  told  I  must  await 
his  settlement  with  Captain  Edes.  The  owner  had 
been  swindled  out  of  ship  and  cargo,  and  the  crew 


Ill 


THE  END  OF  EDES. 


119 


out  of  their  hard-earned  dues.  I  promised  to  give 
a  chapter  of  *'  Foul  Play,"  without  the  embellish- 
ments of  fiction ;  if  the  foregoing  history  does  not 
furnish  one,  I  cannot  conceive  what  would. 

The  next  movement  of  Ldes  was  in  France, 
where  he  had  some  connection  with  a  ship-chand- 
lery at  Havre ;  afterwards  he  appeared  in  high  life 
at  Paris,  where  he  was  cleaned  out.  He  then 
took  passage  for  New  York,  where  he  was  arrested 
by  Mr.  Ellery,  kept  in  jail  about  six  months,  and 
was  liberated  at  the  intercession  of  former  friends, 
who  still  felt  a  lingering  interest  in  him.  The 
same  interest,  probably,  obtained  for  him  the  charge 
of  another  ship  at  Philadelphia,  which  he  fitted 
out  for  the  prosecution  of  a  similar  voyage,  the  re- 
sult of  which  was,  that  after  roaming  about  among 
various  ports  of  the  Indian  Ocean,  his  vessel  was 
cast  away  at  the  Island  of  Madagascar,  and  he 
afterwards  died  a  miserable  death  at  Bourbon  or 
Mauritius.  -  " 

And  hefe  I  will  mention,  as  a  somewhat  singular 
concidence,  that  the  first  command  of  the  writer,  in 
after  years,  was  the  beautiful  brig  Mermaid^  of 
Boston,  principally  owned  by  R.  B.  Edes,  Esq. ;  no 
relative,  I  am  happy  to  say,  of  S.  B.  E. 

Shortly  after  joining  the  coaster,  my  companion 
Wilson  got  a  chance  to  exchange  places  with  a 
young  American  on  board  a  ship  bound  for  EuropCy 
but  there  was  no  such  chance  for  me.  My  new  ship- 
mate, named  Hammond,  was  mi;  ch  more  of  a  man 
than  Wilson,  about  twenty-one  years  of  age,  stout, 
strong,  and  fearless ;  altogether  an  excellent  speci- 


' 


1  -J 


■m. 


i20 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


men  of  a  Yankee  sailor.  He  was  a  native  of  Bris- 
tol, R.  I.  I  particularize  him,  as  we  stuck  together, 
like  tarred  parcelling  tc  a  new  rope,  in  every 
voyage,  and  in  every  condition  of  weal  and  woe 
which  befell  us,  until  we  reached  home,  over  three 
years  afterwards. 

Our  first  trip  under  the  colonial  flag  was  with  a 
cargo  of  bullocks,  sheep  and  hay,  to  St.  Helena,  the 
passage  down  being  about  twelve  days.  Napoleon 
was  then  at  Longwood,  about  twelve  miles  distant 
from  Jamestown.  This  was  our  nearest  approach 
to  the  great  Emperor,  as  no  person,  except  on  duty, 
was  allowed  to  put  a  foot  on  the  island.  We  were 
unloaded  by  government  boats,  and  were  ordered 
to  up  anchor  and  be  oflT  again  immediately,  on  de- 
livery of  the  cargo.  Even  our  Captain  was  not 
permitted  to  leave  his  boat.  We  remained  there 
but  two  days,  and  were  again  on  our  passage  back 
to  the  Cape.  We  made  several  other  voyages  in 
diflTerent  colonial  vessels,  to  all  the  various  ports  on 
the  coast,  during  which  time  we  did  not  meet  an 
American  ship,  or  a  chance  to  get  away  from  the 
Cape,  except  to  India  or  Australia,  while  our  desire 
was  toward  home.  So  often  disappointed,  and 
meeting  with  so  continued  hard  luck,  I  now  be- 
came careless  of  where  I  went,  and  home  was 
almost  banished  from  my  thoughts. 

We  were  lying  at  Algoa  Bay,  in  the  little  brig 
Mary^  in  company  with  the  Locust^  a  government 
vessel,  during  a  heavy  gale  from  the  south-east. 
We  had  discharged  our  cargo,  taken  in  part  of 
another,   and    were   nearly    ready  for   sea,   when 


yL 


■  imilUUJlIU  IIJi».JlL  U-IJ  . 


ipn 


A    GREAT  GALE. 


121 


caught  in  the  severest  gale  which  I  ever  rode  out 
at  anchor.  Our  Captain,  a  drunken  North  Country- 
man, was  part  owner  of  the  vessel.  His  nephew 
was  mate  (we  had  but  one),  and  a  very  inexpe- 
rienced, inefficient  youth,  at  that.  The  gale  came 
on  just  before  night,  while  the  Captain  was  on 
shore.  The  sea  came  tumbling  in  with  increasing 
fury ;  the  mate  was  sea-sick  and  frightened,  and  he 
soon  turned  in,  telling  us  to  do  the  best  we  could, 
and  call  him  when  he  was  wanted.  He  was  not 
wanted,  nor  did  we  see  him  until  the  gale  was 
over. 

Our  crew  in  the  forecastle  consisted  of  only  four. 
We  kept  a  sea-watch  that  night,  H.  and  myself 
composing  the  starboard  one.  The  little  brig  was 
what  was  called  *  Ecrmudian  built,"  that  is,  long, 
low,  and  sharp.  As  the  sea  increased,  we  gave  her 
the  whole  length  of  both  cables,  reserving  enough 
to  freshen  the  hawse  as  occasion  required.  The  ca 
bles  were  both  hempen.  A  sharp  axe  was  kept  in 
a  secure  place,  convenient  to  use  in  an  emergency. 
The  yards  were  pointed  sharp  to  the  wind,  and  we 
could  do  no  more.  The  sea  was  now  boarding  us 
over  the  bow,  sweeping  fore  and  aft.  The  cook's 
galley,  hen-coops,  everything  on  deck  that  was  not 
lashed,  found  their  way  over  the  stern.  The  last 
act  of  precaution  we  had  taken  was  to  batten  the 
hatches  down,  and  fasten  the  cabin  doors,  to  keep  the 
water  out.  The  mate  and  cook,  the  occupants  of 
the  cabin,  could  make  their  egress  by  unhooking  the 
skylight  from  within.  It  was  well  that  we  secured 
the  hatchways,  otherwise   the  vessel  would  have 


■''  .it. 


i 


1:1 


t- 


W 


'ft  ! 


i 

tshi 


■'hi 


t22 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


r 


\  f 


m 


W  i 


filled  and  foundered.  It  was  inr  possible  to  remain 
on  deck  for  five  minutes  except  at  the  risk  of  fol- 
lowing the  cook's  galley  over  the  taffrail,  therefore 
the  watch  kept  their  look-out  from  the  catharpings 
under  the  foretop,  the  spray  drenching  us  even 
there. 

The  craft  behaved  beautifully.  She  dove  into 
the  seas  like  a  duck,  and  continued  unbroken  after 
the  decks  were  stripped  of  the  movables.  The  ca- 
bles were  straightened,  and  as  taut  as  fiddle-strings. 
At  times,  when  she  pitched  into  a  heavy  sea,  we 
were  fearful  the  cable  would  catch  over  the  bow- 
sprit, which  lay  very  low,  and  take  us  to  the  bottom, 
head  first. 

But  our  greatest  fear  was  of  the  Locust^  which 
was  anchored  right  in  our  hawse  tit  the  commence- 
ment of  the  gale.  She  was  at  single  anchor,  and 
began  to  drift ;  but,  on  letting  go  a  second  anchor, 
brought  up  about  a  cable's  length  di';eclly  to  wind- 
ward of  us.  She  was  a  large  vessel,  high  out  of 
water,  and  should  she  drift  on  to  us,  our  destruction 
would  be  inevitable. 

The  people  on  shore,  supposing  that  both  vessels 
would  be  driven  from  their  anchorage,  built  a  fire 
on  the  beach,  directly  under  our  lee,  which  was 
kept  up  during  the  night,  to  indicate  the  best  place 
to  take  the  beach,  if  we  should  have  to  run  on 
shore.  The  watch  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning 
had  just  been  relieved.  We  were  all  four  in  the 
rigging.  The  darkness  was  intense.  We  could  see 
nothing  to  windward  but  the  white  foaming  tops 
of  the  furious  waves,  as  they  rolled  towards  us  with 


p 


A  NARRO  W  ESCAPE. 


.123 


?fl 


fearful  violence,  threatening  destruction  to  all  op- 
posing objects,  occasionally  catching  a  glimpse  of 
the  storm-lights  of  the  vessel  to  windward.  She 
had  one  at  each  mast-head,  and  we  had  one  at  the 
fore.  As  long  as  her  lights  were  in  a  line  with 
each  other,  or  nearly  so,  we  were  all  right ;  but 
soon  we  saw  the  distance  increasing  between  them, 
and  the  shout  arose,  "  She  is  broadside-to,  and  is 
coming  down  on  us." 

This  we  had  expected,  and  had  determined  what 
to  do,  should  it  occur.  One  man  sprang  for  the 
axe,  with  a  few  blows  from  which  the  in-shore  cable 
was  cut ;  two  of  us  jumped  aft,  lashed  the  helm  to 
port,  while  the  fourth  was  on  the  look-out,  to  give 
warning  of  any  sea  threatening  to  board  us.  While 
we  weTi'e  swinging  to  bring  our  single  anchor 
ahead,  we  were  much  exposed  in  the  trough  of  the 
sea,  but  soon  regained  the  safe  position  of  head  to 
wind  and  sea. 

The  Locust  drifted  by  us,  and  so  near  that  we 
plainly  heard  the  order,  amid  the  howling  storm, 
of  "  Run  up  the  fore-topmast  staysail."  The  Lo- 
cust had  emigrants  on  board  for  Graham's  Town, 
part  of  whom  had  been  landed.  We  could  hear 
the  cries  of  those  on  board,  as  they  rushed  past  us, 
apparently  to  certain  destruction.  The  nearest  land 
was  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant,  along  which 
the  wind  blew  nearly  parallel ;  the  fire  on  the 
beach,  directly  to  leeward,  was  a  mile  from  the  an- 
chorage.      ■••■"        ■--■-•'■.     -'-'•.>:--::,■..-     -;?'>     r.   .:.,    .-.-^-.v     :■" 

Finding  that  our  craft  was  holding  on  well,  and 
being  relieved  of  the  dangerous  proximity  of  our 


f   i) 


I 

!       i: 


m 


'vm\ 


124 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


U 


I  m 


neighbor,  the  watch  below  went  into  the  forecastle 
to  get  such  rest  as  they  could,  while  Hammond  and 
myself  crawled  up  to  the  cat-harpings  to  resume 
watch  and  ward.  (Modern  sailors  may  not  know 
where  to  locate  us,  as  the  cat-harpings  used  for- 
nierly  to  thrap  a  ship's  lower  rigging  into  the  mast- 
heads, have  gone  out  of  date.) 

While  perched  on  our  lonely  and  uncomfortable 
roost,  it  occurred  to  us  both,  and  perhaps  for  the 
first  time,  that  our  past  lives  had  been  thus  far 
passed  in  scenes  of  hardship  and  suffering  without 
much  respite  therefrom.  Hunger,  thirst,  and 
almost  nakedness,  we  were  both  familiar  with,  and 
the  peltings  of  the  pitiless  storm  we  were  not 
strangers  to.  We  compared  our  lot  with  those  on 
shore.  What  to  them  if  the  storm  howled  around 
their  dwelling ;  there  was  comfort  and  safety  within. 
*'  The  warning  voice  of  the  lee  shore  speaking  in 
breakers"  did  not  disturb  their  dieanis,  while  we 
"poor  nurslings  of  the  storm"  had  to  face  the 
music  of  Old  Ocean,  whatever  was  the  tune. 

Before  the  watch  was  out,  we  concluded  that  if 
we  got  safe  on  shore  once  more,  we  would  make 
tracks  for  the  interior,  and  settle  down  among 
Caffirs,  Hottentots,  or  any  other  tribe,  and  live  on 
shore  somewhere  out  of  sight  of  the  Ocean.  For 
our  home  and  our  country,  we  would  seek  and 
adopt  a  place  where  ships  could  not  get. 

Before*  sunrise  the  following  morning,  the  gale 
was  over,  and  our  previous  resolutions  were  en- 
tirely forgotten. 

The  Locust  was  a  wreck  on  the  beach ;  some  of 


wm^m 


ON  OUR   OWN  ACCOUNT. 


125 


her  passengers  we  heard  were  drowned,  and  others 
badly  hurt. 

In  a  few  days  we  were  again  loaded,  and  sailed 
for  Cape  Town.  On  our  arrival  we  were  entitled 
to  our  discharge  and  wages.  Not  caring  to  sail 
again  with  a  drunken  Captain,  and  a  boy  for 
mate,  we  went  to  a  boarding-house  on  shore,  and 
for  a  time  found  employment  in  passage  boats ; 
having  taken  a  boat  on  shares,  we  felt  rather  inde- 
pendent. 

At  the  entrance  of  Table  Bay,  about  twelve 
miles  from  the  town,  is  a  low,  small  island,  called 
"  Robbins  Island,"  which  was  then  used,  and  prob- 
ably is  now,  as  an  island  prison,  where  criminals 
from  Cape  Town  were  kept.  A  guard  of  soldiers 
was  stationed  here,  being  relieved  once  a  month. 
The  prisoners  were  principally  employed  in  col- 
lecting shells  for  lime  burning,  catching  and  curing 
fish,  etc.  We  had  several  charters  to  take  prisoners 
and  soldiers  back  and  forth,  and  were  doing  well, 
but  we  soon  tired  of  it. 

About  this  time  a  Dutch  bark  from  Batavia 
put  into  Simon's  Bay  in  distress,  leaky  and  short- 
handed.  As  it  w-as  the  season  of  south-easters, 
when  it  was  dangerous  for  a  ship  to  I'e  there,  men 
were  sent  for  to  help  get  her  round  to  Table  Bay 
for  repairs.  The  pay  was  good,  and  Hammond 
and  myself  were  of  a  party  of  six  sailors  engaged 
for  that  purpose.  We  were  transported  across  the 
country  in  a  covered  wagon,  drawn  by  five  or  six 
yokes  of  oxen.  On  joining  the  vessel,  it  was  found 
that  one  pump  in  constant  .operation  would  keep 


■,'■    1: 


126 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


t! 


i  M 


n    '« 


her  free ;  and  as  it  was  only  one  or  two  days'  sail 
to  Tabic  Bay,  we  put  to  sea  soon  after  we  reached 
the  vessel.  The  officers  and  crew  were  all  Dutch- 
men. They  were  good  sailors,  and  very  pleasant 
to  get  along  with,  and  the  provisions  were  good 
and  abundant;  but  baffling  winds  prevailed  for 
five  days,  when  we  took  the  first  of  a  south-caster 
and  ran  into  the  Bay.  In  doubling  round  Green- 
point,  the  vessel  was  struck  by  a  white  squall  and 
capsized,  the  wind  being  at  the  time  all  al6ft,  with 
scarcely  any  on  deck. 

The  hatches  being  off,  the  vessel  gradually  filled, 
and  began  to  settle.  There  was  nothing  to  be  done 
but  to  try  to  save  our  lives.  The  only  boat  that 
would  swim  was  speedily  occupied  by  the  Dutch- 
men. We  knew  the  bark  would  take  the  bottom 
in  five  or  six  fathoms  of  water,  leaving  a  consider- 
able portion  of  her  masts  out.  She  righted  as  she 
settled,  while  we  hung  on  to  various  places  aloft. 
We  were  in  plain  sight  of  the  shipping  in  the  Bay, 
and  not  more  than  three  miles  distant,  so  we  felt 
sure  of  being  picked  off. 

After  her  keel  brought  up  on  the  bottom,  the 
topsail  yards  were  out  of  water,  and  to  these  we 
clung  until  taken  off  about  an  hour  after  the 
accident.  There  were  six  or  eight  boats  from  the 
different  ships,  and  as  many  from  the  town,  which 
came  to  our  relief.  Nobody  suffered  except  from 
frequent  ducking,  as  the  rolling  of  the  vessel 
would  occasionally  put  us  under  water  both  waj-s. 
The  main  cause  of  her  being  so  easily  capsized 
was  the  dissolving  of  the  sugar  in  the  lower  hold  ; 


IN  JAIL, 


127 


part  of  her  cargo  had  been  thrown  overboard  from 
between  decks,  before  arriving  at  the  Cape,  but 
enough  remained  there  to  make  her  crank,  while 
the  weight  below  was  daily  increasing. 

We  were  landed  at  Cape  Town  about  dusk,  cold 
and  wet.  Hammond  and  myself  separated  from 
the  others,  and  were  on  our  way  to  where  we  had 
formerly  boarded,  wlicn  we  met  a  squad  of  police, 
who  asked  for  our  passes.  Of  course  we  had  none. 
We  told  them  the  story  of  the  wreck,  and  they 
knew  it  was  true ;  but  we  had  no  money  to  give 
them,  consequently  they  were  kind  enough  to  take 
charge  of  and  deposit  us  in  the  "  calaboose,"  or 
*^  trunk."  It  was  in  vain  that  we  represented  to 
the  Captain  of  Police  that  we  were  wrecked 
that  very  day,  and  had  no  time  to  procure  a  pass, 
or  even  to  get  dry  clothes  or  anything  to  eat,  before 
we  were  snapped  up  by  his  men.  Indeed  we  felt 
so  keenly  the  wrong  done  us  that  we  used  language 
which  he  considered  impudent,  therefore  we  were 
thrust  into  prison,  where  he  promised  to  keep  us 
safe  until  called  for.  As  we  knew  of  no  one  who 
would  be  likely  to  inquire  respecting  us,  we  con- 
cluded the  best  way  was  to  make  application  to 
the  Governor  himself.  As  we  had  been  before  the 
Fiscal  once,  and  been  befriended  by  him,  we  did 
not  like  to  go  again,  lest  he  might  now  consider  us 
pestilent  fellows.  We  had  a  little  money,  and 
were  allowed  to  send  out  and  buy  provisions.  We 
had  also  obtained  writing  materials  from  a  clerk 
of  the  prison. 


I'l'' 


!l 


1 28 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


We  made  such  a  representation  of  fiicts,  and  so 
strong  an  appeal  to  his  Excellency,  that  an  orderly 
was  sent  with  a  requisition  to  have  us  brought 
before  him  forthwith.  At  this  tir.;e  General  Sir 
Rufane  Shawe  Donkin  was  the  acting  Governor, 
in  the  absence  of  Lord  Charles  Somerset,  who  was 
in  England.  General  Donkin  was  a  veteran  in  the 
service,  and  was  commonly  spoken  of  as  a  kind- 
hearted  old  Scotchman,  and  we  found  him  so. 
Stating  our  case  to  him,  he  inquired,  "  Which  of 
you  wrote  that  note  to  me.'"'  I  replied  that  I  did. 
I  felt  that  I  was  about  to  receive  punishment  for 
my  presumption,  and  when  he  approached  me  and 
took  my  hand  I  expected  it  was  to  pass  me  over  to 
the  orderly  in  waiting,  to  receive  a  thrashing ;  but 
no  such  thing.  "  What  part  of  England  are  you 
from,  my  lad?"  was  the  kind  inquiry.  "I  am  an 
American,  sir,  from  the  State  of  Massachusetts. 
We  are  both  Americans." 

He  then  ^sked  us  many  questions  about  our 
country,  our  parer.tSj  schools,  etc.,  where  we  had 
been,  and  what  we  ^vanted  to  do ;  all  of  which 
were  answered,  to  h'<^  apparent  satisfaction. 

After  giving  us  some  fatherly  advice,  he  gave 
orders  that  we  should  have  a  pass  to  remain  on 
shore  for  one  month,  or  until  we  could  get  a  ship. 
In  the  meantime,  and  as  we  were  destitute  and  had 
no  consul  to  apply  to,  he  gave  orders  that  we  should 
be  provided  with  bed  and  board  at  the  soldiers* 
barracks,  while  we  were  in  search  of  employment. 
Thanking  him  cordially  for  his  kindness,  we  took 


i''..B'l 


I! 


AN  INTERNATIONAL  ROW. 


129 


our  leave  and  cast  about  for  employment.  We 
found  various  jobs  on  shipboard  or  in  boats  for 
about  two  weeks,  but  no  chance  to  get  a  voyage ; 
each  night  having  our  supper  with  the  soldiers, 
»  and  a  bunk  with  clean  straw  to  sleep  on,  our  break- 
fast in  the  morning,  and  then  sallying  out  to  see 
what  might  turn  up. 

There  were  three  regiments  of  troops  in  barracks 
and  garrison.  The  barracks  were  large  and  com- 
modious, with  a  spacious  parade-ground  in  front, 
bordered  by  a  grand  walk,  well  shaded.  Here,  in 
witnessing  the  tine  reviews  every  morning,  and 
listening  to  their  splendid  bands  at  evening,  we  had 
much  enjoyment.  Every  three  months  the  soldiers 
I  received  a  portion  of  their  pay  ;  when  this  occurred, 

the  messes  sent  out  and  bought  the  cheap  wine  of 
the  country,  and,  with  some  other  extras,  had  a 
jollification  in  the  evening.  It  was  on  one  of  these 
occasions  that  H.  and  myself  were  making  merry 
with  them  ;  as  the  wine  circulated,  our  entertainers 
were  disposed  to  ^'  run  "  us  Yankees  ;  songs  were 
sung  by  them  celebrating  the  capture  of  Hull's 
Army  and  the  burning  of  Washington.  Hammond 
was  a  good  singer,  and  as  an  ofi'sct  he  struck  up 
the  naval  song  of  the  "  Constitution  and  Gucrricre." 
I  at  first  tried  to  stop  him,  but  as  he  persisted,  I 
joined  heartily  in  the  chorus.  The  natural  conse- 
quence was  a  row.  Hammond  could  handle  any 
one  man  of  his  size,  but  I,  a  boy,  could  not  ren- 
der him  much  help,  so  we  soon  found  ourselves 
outside  the  barracks,  after  having  been  the  recipi- 


i    !l 


\  U  "  \i   ! 


\m 


■«-.'»fi?',^,,-f  in--^i,^:-r;'y.'y  ■,:Tfn"V^f>*T''''*T-r 


130 


FOJiE  AND  AFT. 


:  I 


ents  of  more  kicks  and  cuOs  than  were  agreeable ; 
and  thus  terminated  the  hospitalities  of  our  kind 
friend,  the  General.  Fortunately  for  us,  we  got 
work  for  a  month  or  so  in  a  sail-loft,  and  boarded 
in  the  family  of  an  old  Swedish  sail-maker,  where, 
for  a  time,  we  enjoyed  the  comforts  of  a  home. 


1 1 


!■  " 


IN  THE  BRITISH  NAVT. 


CHAPTER    XI. 


IN    THE    BRITISH    NAVY. 


WHILE  we  were  here,  several  ships  were 
driven  on  shore  in  Table  Bay  during 
a  north-west  srale.  Hammond  was  sick.  There 
was  an  English  boy,  named  George,  boarding  at 
the  house  with  us.  He  had  been  sick  in  the  hos- 
pital, and  was  rather  feeble  now,  but  on  the  day  of 
the  wrecks  George  and  I  started  together  to  go 
to  a  large  Indiaman,  which  was  on  shore  in  a 
bend  of  the  bay,  about  three  miles  from  town. 
We  followed  the  beach  along  till  we  came  to  a 
broad  river,  which,  at  its  outlet,  appeared  to  be 
quite  shallow,  and  the  current  not  very  strong. 
Just  the  other  side  of  the  river  was  the  ship,  with 
two  or  three  jmchors  ahead.  She  had  drngijcd  on 
shore  stern  first ;  the  sea  was  breaking  violentlv 
over  her  bows,  and  sweeping  aft.  The  crew 
(mostly  Lascars)  were  on  the  poop  and  in  the 
rigging,  endeavoring  to  get  a  hawser  to  the  shore, 
where  quite  a  number  of  persons  were  gathered 
tryin":  to  render  assistance.  WMien  we  entered  the 
river  I  was  ahead  of  George,  and  found  the  water 
quite  shallow  full  half  the  distance  across.  I  no- 
ticed that  some  of  tlie  men  camo  towards  us  from 
the  other  side,  and  waved  us  l)ack.  Their  shouts 
we  could  not  hear,  for  the  storm  and  the  breakers ; 


^«  -  '  :i"'-J-  ■'■'\  ■   '  "i*   ■■,73*?^  .t'^,- 


132 


FOJ?E  AND   \FT. 


'i  L^'' 


:m 


but  i  inferred  that  they  did  not  want  any  more 
company  to  share  the  salvage  that  might  accrue 
from  the  wreck,  so  I  kept  on,  with  George  follow- 
ing. A  short  distance  farther  I  found  the  water 
deepening,  and  the  current  increasing  so  that  the 
sand  was  being  washed  from  under  my  feet.  I 
now  saw  the  danger,  and  understood  why  they 
beckoned  us  back,  but  it  was  too  late.  T  t'iri;'';d 
to  tell  my  companion  to  go  back,  but  at  i'l'..  •.•  v', 
moment  the  current  took  me  off  my  feet  and  was 
sweeping  me  towards  the  sea,  which  tumbled  on 
the  beach  in  furious  breakers.  I  was  a  strong 
swimmer,  and  tried  to  gain  the  bank  again,  but  in 
vain.  I  could  feel  the  sandy  bottom  with  my  feet, 
and  tried  to  hold  on  by  my  toes,  but  the  sand  broke 
away  from  them,  and  I  was  borne  rapidly  out 
among  the  breakers.  I  saw  that  George  was  taken 
off  his  feet  dlso,  and  was  following  me  out  to  sea. 
I  now  turned  head  to  the  breakers,  and  by  diving 
into  two  or  three  of  them  as  they  came  in  succes- 
sion, I  got  outside  of  them  unharmed.  Getting  a 
good  offing  to  prevent  being  dashed  against  the 
cables,  I  swam  across  the  ship's  bows  and  tried  to 
land  on  the  other  side  ;  going  in  on  a  roller,  I  was 
thrown  on  to  the  beach,  but  could  not  hold  on  to 
the  sands,  and  the  undertow  took  me  off  again. 
Watching  for  a  favorable  time  between  the  seas,  I 
struck  out  for  the  beach  again,  and  this  time  a  man 
ran  into  the  surf  with  the  end  of  a  long  Vm<  n  ^iis 
hand,  while  others  held  on  to  the  shore  end  ;  he  got 
hold  of  me,  and  I  was  safe,  and  »'Ot  .n'.ch  exhausted. 
In  an   hour  after  I  was   assisting  ia  l.inding  the 


\ 


.ff^JUiJiHIufWJ^ 


TWENTY  YEARS  LATER. 


133 


% 


wrecked  crew.  Poor  George  had  a  harder  time  ; 
he  could  not  breast  the  breakers,  but  somehow  got 
alongside  the  ship;  they  threw  him  ropes,  which 
he  could  not  get,  and  the  sea  would  have  torn 
him  from  them  if  he  had  ;  escaping  collision  with 
the  ship,  he  was  thrown  ashore  under  her  stern, 
where,  by  the  help  of  t'-"^  rope,  he  was  picked  out  of 
the  surf,  more  dead  than  alive.  He  was  carried  to 
the  nearest  house,  and  it  was  some  weeks  before  he 
got  over  his  rough  bathing.  And  here  follows 
another  coincidence : 

Twenty-two  years  after  the  events  above  narrated, 
I  was  at  the  port  of  San  Pedro,  California,  with  a 
ship  collecting  hides  and  tallow  ;  in  port  also  was  an- 
other vessel  on  the  same  business,  tlie  Peruvian 
brig,  yuan  Josc^  Captain  Duncan.  We  had  often 
met  before,  and  had  transacted  business  together  in 
various  ports  on  the  coast.  On  this  occasion  we 
had  dined  together  on  board  one  of  the  vessels,  and 
I  was  speaking  of  having  been  wrecked  off  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  when  a  boy.  Captain  Duncan 
said  he  was  never  wrecked,  but  once,  when  a 
lad,  came  near  losing  his  lifo  at  the  Cape ;  he 
was  going  to  a  wrecked  ship  in  company  with  a 
boy  they  called  Yankee  Bill,  r.nd  both  were  nearly 
drowned  in  crossing  a  river. 

"Stop!"  said  I,  "that  ship  was  the  Dorah^  of 
Calcutta."  "  Yes,  and  the  two  boys  boarded  with 
Nicolas  Raff." 

"Why,  yes  —  well  then,  here  we  are.  You  are 
»£..glish  George,'  and  I  '  Yankee  Bill.'" 

Early  in  the  year   1821,  Hammond  and  myself 


■  W 


tl 

It 


-y%^>4fKff^-^,Tj:-iiY;  '^  i'^ 


11 


f!  ^  m 


134 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


had  been  employed  in  fishing  with  a  seine  at  night, 
and  selling  our  catch  in  the  forenoon  to  ti">e  tovvn's- 
people.  Our  companions  in  this  business  were 
Malays,  Hottentots,  Dutchmen,  etc. ;  altogether  we 
represented  five  or  six  difierent  nations,  and  choice 
specimens  we  were  at  that.  This  was  the  only  em- 
pl;')vment  we  could  find  at  that  time  ;  <t  was  neither 
ve  'oductive  nor  pleasant,  and  we  determined 
to  sh.^.  on  board  the  first  vessel  that  came  in  and 
wanted  men,  whatever  she  might  be,  or  wherever 
bound.  The  British  sloop-of-war  A/enai,  belong- 
ing to  the  St.  Helena  Station,  was  that  one.  She 
was  from  Mauritius,  and  bound  for  St.  Helena. 
We  went  on  board,  under  contract  to  serve  his 
Britannic  Majesty  for  three  years,  but  with  some 
mental  reservations  in  the  case — such  as,  that  we 
would  better  our  condition  whenever  we  should 
have  an  opportunity.  And  now  I  found  myself  in 
the  very  situation  of  which  I  had  always  enter- 
tained the  greatest  horror ;  but  there  was  no  help 
for  it,  and,  after  being  initiated  on  board,  and  get- 
ting the  hang  of  things,  being  well  treated,  well 
fed,  and  having  easy  work  compared  with  that  on  a 
merchantman,  we  found  the  British  naval  service 
not  so  very  dreadful. 

We  were  stationed  about  the  island  for  nearly 
two  .months,  being  most  of  the  time  undervvcigh, 
looking  after  suspicious-looking  vessels  approaching 
or  passing  the  island.  Once  we  ran  down  to  As- 
cension, to  get  turtle ;  here  a  sloop-of-war  was 
always  stationed  while  Napoleon  was  living  in  St. 
Helena,  to  catch  turtle  and  repair  vessels.     No  for- 


J 
ii 

s 


tl 


"TEffk. 


THE  CUNNING    YANKEES. 


135 


eign  vessel  whatever  w&sthen  allowed  to  anchor  at 
Jamestown,  but  all  were  sent  to  Ascension,  if  need- 
ing repairs.  I  believe  that  not  a  man  from  our 
ship  landed  on  the  Island  while  she  was  there. 

It  was  amusing,  while  on  the  station,  to  see  with 
what  suspicion  a  vessel  was  watched  approaching 
the  island,  if  she  had  the  appearance  of  being  an 
American,  while  craft  of  other  nations  received 
but  little  attention.  There  was  a  continual  appre- 
hension that  the  Yankees  were  planning  to  rescue 
the  prisoner.  One  day  a  clipper  schooner  made  her 
appearance  in  the  offing ;  chase  was  given  to  her 
by  two  or  three  sloops,  and  she  was  ordered  not 
to  come  wiLhin  three  miles  of  the  island.  Another 
time,  a  partly  dismasted  American  ship  hove  in 
sight,  making  for  the  anchorage,  and  this  was  con- 
sidered as  decidedly  a  Yankee  U'ick  to  communi- 
cate with  Napoleon  ;  whether  it  was  so  or  not,  she 
was  taken  in  tow  by  a  sloop-of-war  and  towed  out 
of  sight,  it  was  said,  to  Ascension  Island,  where  she 
was  refitted.  Two  officers  of  Napoleon's  family, 
said  to  be  Las  Casas  and  Gen.  Gourgaud,  embarked 
on  board  our  ship,  and  were  landed  at  the  Cape ; 
others  of  his  household  we  saw  go  on  board  of  the 
Canicl.,  storeship,  for  England.  Our  ship  was  now 
ordered  to  the  Cape,  with  orders  (it  was  said)  for 
the  men-of-war  there,  and  at  the  Isle  of  France,  to 
join  the  Admiral  at  St.  Helena.  We  arrived  at 
Simon's  Bay  the  latter  part  of  May,  182 1,  when, 
being  on  a  watering  party  one  day,  we  saw  the 
coast  clear,  and  struck  out  for  the  bush.  We  had 
received  a  little  money,  and  had  made  some  other 


a*','riy*iT?V^',  ■.*»'  r 


136 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


il  .,  |i!f 


■:i 


preparations  for  this  special  occasion.  Travelling 
nearly  all  night  near  the  road  leading  to  Cape 
Town,  and  keeping  parallel  with  it,  we  stopped  to 
rest  and  sleep  ten  miles  from  the  ship,  and  re- 
mained there  until  morning.  We  had  some  knowl- 
edge of  the  roads,  having  passed  that  way  before. 
The  next  day,  during  which  we  had  a  good  lift  in 
an  ox-team,  we  reached  Constantia.  We  kept  away 
from  the  houses  for  a  few  days  in  the  day-time, 
until  we  were  sure  that  the  ship  had  left ;  and  then 
engaged  ourselves  to  work  for  an  old  Dutch  farmer, 
named  Van  Reen ;  wages  were  low,  but  we  had 
good  quarters,  lived  well,  and  for  three  months  were 
quite  contented.  Our  employment  consisted  in 
making  bags  for  wheat,  canvas  coverings  for  wag- 
ons, and  pressing  hay  into  bundles  to  be  shipped  to 
St.  Helena  from  Cape  Town. 

It  is  a  fact  that  II.  and  myself  do  really  owe  Her 
Britannic  Majesty's  Government  an  unexpired  term 
of  service,  but  then,  we  carried  out  the  reservations 
spoken  of,  and  for  my  part  the  step  we  took  has 
never  caused  me  any  regret.  Perhaps  the  account 
may  hereafter  be  settled  in  the  way  of  offsettnig 
some  of  the  Alabama  claims.  In  that  case  I  am 
willing  the  British  Government  should  have  the 
benefit  of  it. 

The  country  in  which  we  found  ourselves  was 
very  fertile  —  cattle  and  sheep  were  abundant,  and 
the  vineyards  teemed  with  the  finest  grapes  in  the 
world  ;  the  famous  Constantia  wine  needs  no  de- 
scription of  mine.  Van  Reen  had  many  Hottentots 
in  his  employ  who   were  chiefly  employed  about 


■iHUJlJl— l-M'^r'^■'-^■-"^"■- 


JN  THE  BUSH, 


137 


the  cattle,  a  business  for  which  they  are  peculiarly 
well  adapted  ;  they  were,  also,  with  their  wives, 
working  as  vine-dressers,  and  were  the  best  house 
sei*vants  in  the  country.  These  people  are  inoflen- 
sive,  and  faithful  to  their  masters,  but  the  Dutch 
boors,  as  a  general  thing,  treated  them  inhumanly ; 
they  seem  to  be  about  the  last  link  in  the  chain  of 
humanity,  and  from  their  peculiar  formation  and 
manner  of  living  are  very  near  kin  to  the  brute. 
The  CafTirs  and  Bushmen  are  seldom  seen,  as  their 
roaming  is  away  from  all  civilized  places.  Lions, 
tigers,  and  other  ferocious  animals  were  said  to 
be  in  the  vicinity,  and  frequently  carried  off  the 
sheep.  I  have  heard  them  growl  at  night,  but 
I  never  saw  any  unconfined.  Baboons  were  very 
numerous  —  these  we  often  came  across  ;  they  are 
very  destructive  to  the  vineyards,  sometimes  coming 
in  droves  at  night,  and  clearing  the  grapes  off  from 
hundreds  of  vines.  The  Hottentots  are  good  hunt- 
ers, and  were  provided  with  fire-arms  while  keep- 
ing watch  to  repel  the  intruders ;  but  woe  to  the 
poor  fellow  who  happens  to  meet  a  gang  of  these 
animals  unarmed  :  he  is  sure  to  be  pelted  with  sticks, 
stones,  and  mud,  as  far  as  they  dare  follow  him ; 
and  still  greater  woe  to  the  female  Hottentot  who 
falls  into  their  hands  :  she  is  carried  off  and  seen 
no  more  —  at  least  such  was  the  common  report; 
and  I  believe  it,  for  I  have  seen  the  brute  and  the 
human,  when,  if  the  faces  were  only  visible,  I 
could  not  have  told  to  which  race  they  belonged. 
The  English  treat  the  natives  with  greater  kindness 
than  the  Dutch  did  ;  the  Colonial  Government  forbid 


! 


Mi 


"fi| 
.It 


'\\ 


■■m  '\  'fl 


,ti 


■^li 


=T^ 


I,-'',,'   '^'^-^  f/^^r.  ^y•l■xi.,-J^t^_<^.  r^v,  ,  j  yv'-f'^'v-'nrr    V' "'^r'  ''.^ 


'.1    « 


>!ll! 


M 


i  I 


138 


/^07?iS  yliV:Z?  AFT. 


their  being  used  as  bondmen.  They  ofTcred  a 
bounty  for  the  skin  of  every  wild  beast  destroyed. 
I  have  seen  many  of  these  liunters  come  into  Cape 
Town  bringing  their  spoils,  the  man  always  in  ad- 
vance, encumbered  w^ith  nothing  but  his  gun, —  the 
woman  travelling  "behind  with  a  pack  of  skins  on 
her  back.  On  top  of  that  would  be  a  child,  and 
often  another  child  was  seated  on  the  hinder  pvo- 
jection.  Receiving  their  bounty  from  govern- 
ment, and  selling  their  skins,  or  exchanging  them 
for  ammunition,  Cape  brandy  and  tobacco,  they  lie 
around  the  streets  drunk  for  a  few  days,  and  then 
start  off  again  to  hunt. 

The  Hottentot  has  a  large  moppish  head  of  hair, 
unlike  any  other  people  I  have  seen  ;  it  is  fine  as 
silk,  always  well  greased,  and  every  hair  appears 
to  be  culled  separately.  The  Cape  sheep  arc  also 
different  from  all  others,  long  legged,  and  clothed 
with  a  coarse  wool,  or  rather  hair ;  the  mutton  is 
excellent,  but  all  the  fat  of  the  animal  seems  to  tend 
towards  the  tail,  which  member  is  flat  at  the  base, 
and  tapering  down ;  it  sometimes  weighs  fifteen 
pounds,  and  has  to  be  suspended  with  a  lanyard  to 
keep  it  clear  of  the  ground.  This  fat,  when  it  is 
tried  out,  is  very  white,  and,  packed  in  bladders,  is 
sold  in  the  market  for  culinary  purposes,  for  which 
it  is  highly  esteemed.  The  returning  teams,  which 
arrived  from  Cape  Town  twice  a  week,  always 
brought  up  a  newspaper  printed  in  Dutch  and  Eng- 
lish, by  which  we  knew  what  vessels  arrived  at  or 
departed  from  Table  Bay. 

Seeing  that  a  number  of  ships  were  in  port,  and 


^■ggs^srega?'.;^;^^ 


AGAIN  AFLOAT. 


139 


knowing  that  the  Alinai  had  gone  to  England,  we 
settled  with  our  employer,  and  took  passage  on  one 
of  his  ox-teams  for  the  seaboard.  Arriving  at  Cape 
Town,  and  not  finding  a  ship  to  suit,  we  found 
employment  with  an  Englishman  at  the  village  of 
Poppendirk,  near  the  town,  for  a  few  weeks,  and 
then  shipped  on  board  the  Britotfiart,  of  London, 
Captain  Peach,  bound  to  Van  Dieman's  Land,  Port 
Jackson,  and  elsewhere,  not  towards  home,  but  in 
the  opposite  direction. 

The  ship  we  were  now  on  was  what  was  called 
a  free  trader,  in  contradistinction  to  those  known  as 
Botany  Bay  ships,  which  took  out  convicts  to  the 
colony  of  New  South  Wales.  The  Britomart 
belonged  partly  to  two  brothers  by  the  name  of 
Scott,  who  were  passengers  on  board.  They  were 
wealthy,  and  chose  this  way  of  travelling  for  pleas- 
ure and  seeing  the  world.  The  Captain  was  a  good 
seaman,  and  an  educated  gentleman,  always  kind 
and  pleasant  to  all  around  him,  and  his  mates  were 
worthy  of  such  a  master.  H.  and  myself  were 
agreeably  disappointed  in  finding  ourselves  on 
board  of  an  extremely  comfortable  craft,  with  gen- 
tlemanly, and  at  the  same  time  kind  and  efficient 
officers  ;  we  found,  in  fact,  that  the  vessel  was  on  a 
yachting  expedition  rather  than  a  commercial  voy- 
age, and  had  been  fitted  out  accordingly.  The 
Messrs.  Scott  had  each  his  own  boat  nicely  fur- 
nished and  equipped  for  hunting  and  fishing,  with 
sails,  awnings,  tents  and  cooking  utensils,  all  ready 
for  use  as  soon  as  opportunity  should  ofter  for  their 
amusement.     The  ship  was  welt  furnished  in  every 


il 


m 


140 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


■\  ,1 


respect :  even  the  foremost  hands  had  been  selected 
with  care ;  of  sixteen  before  the  mast,  scarcely  one 
was  objectionable.  The  boatswain,  gunner,  sail- 
maker  and  carpenter  messed  by  themselves  in  the 
steerage,  and  were  competent  men  in  their  depart- 
ments. Two  of  the  crew  were  left  sick  at  the  Cape, 
and  we  got  their  places.  I  will  here  record  with 
candor,  that  on  no  other  ship  in  which  I  served 
while  before  the  mast,  under  the  flag  of  my  own 
country,  or  that  of  any  other,  did  I  ever  know  a 
crew  to  receive  such  uniform  kind  treatment.  We 
had  on  board  a  number  of  respectable  families, 
farming  people  and  mechanics,  who  were  to  remain 
at  Van  Dieman's  Land  as  colonists. 


■^! 


TO  AUSTRALIA. 


141 


■ 


CHAPTER  XII. 


TO   AUSTRALIA. 


WE  arrived  at  Hobart  Town  on  the  Derwent 
River,  after  a  passage  of  usual  length  — 
nothing  remarkable  occurring  except  that  divine 
service  was  held  on  Sundays,  when  the  weather 
permitted,  the  Captain  or  one  of  the  gentlemen 
reading  the  Church  of  England  service,  which  was 
something  entirely  new  to  us. 

The  entrance  to  the  Derwent  River  is  through 
Storm  Bay,  with  Cape  Pillar  on  the  one  side,  and 
Tasman's  Head  on  the  other.  As  the  passage  nar- 
rowed on  approaching  the  river,  the  scenery  was 
beautiful, —  tiie  banks  well  wooded  with  a  great 
variety  of  forest-trees  with  brilliant  and  variegated 
foliage,  the  dark,  green  hills  rising  in  the  back- 
ground, their  smooth  sides  cohered  with  living 
green  —  presenting,  as  we  approached,  a  pic^^nre  of 
beauty  to  eyes  which  for  months  had  resic-  upon 
nothing  but  the  firmament  above  and  the  waste  of 
waters  below. 

Hobart  Town  is  beautifully  situated  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  river  or  estuary,  about  twenty  miles  from 
the  sea  ;  in  a  cove  fronting  the  town  is  good  anchor- 
age, with  a  moderate  depth  of  water.  This  colony 
was  commenced  less  than  twenty  years  before  our 
arrival,  and  was  already  a  very  good-looking  town 


III 


?  i  ib- 
is'' 


iu 


\a\ 


142 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


\\^ 


—  the  public  improvements  were  in  active  progress, 
being  ]:)ushe(l  by  the  government  with  the  hibor  of 
convicts ;  part  of  the  popuhition  were  free  settlers 
from  England,  the  rest  were  convicts  sent  down 
from  Sydney.  We  landed  the  emitrrants  and  their 
etlects,  and  then  commenced  a  thorough  overhaul 
of  the  ship,  from  the  keelson  to  the  royal  truck, 
inside  and  out,  stripped  to  bare  lower  masts  ;  every 
shroud  and  backstay  was  refitted  and  replaced,  the 
yards  and  masts  examined,  and  every  block-strap 
and  piece  of  standing  rigging  underwent  a  thorough 
survey. 

The  turning  in  of  shrouds  and  backstays,  stay! 
mrists,  setting  up  rigging,  and  all  the  et  cetera  nec- 
essary to  get  a  ship  all  a-taunto,  furnish  practical 
lessons  to  a  youngster  which  he  cannot  get  in  a  nau- 
tical college  on  shore,  where  a  few  questions  asked, 
which  may  be  found  with  answers  annexed  in  Bow- 
ditch  or  the  Sheet  Anchor,  are  all  that  is  deemed 
necessary  with  three  years'  experience  at  sea,  in 
these  days  of  progress,  to  fit  a  man  for  chief  mate 
of  a  ship.  My  own  opinion  is,  that  no  man,  how- 
ever smart,  is  competent  to  a  second  mate's  duty 
with  less  than  five  years'  service  at  sea,  while  a  first 
mate's  experience  should  date  still  further  back. 
The  fact  that  a  few  captains  of  American  ships  are 
quite  young,  and  of  but  three  or  four  years'  service 
at  sea,  all  of  which  has  been  in  the  cabin,  is  no 
proof  of  their  competence  as  commanders.  The 
theory  of  navigation  may  be  learned  in  the  parlor 
or  counting-room,  but  the  practical  part,  and  sea- 
manship, can  only  be  acquired  in  troubled  waters, 


PARLOR  NAVIGATORS. 


H3 


and  under  storm  stay-sails.  The  man  who  docs 
not  know  what  to  do  with  his  ship  in  ahnost  any 
situation  in  which  she  can  be  phiccd,  cannot  be 
considered  a  competent  ship-master,  and  ought  not 
to  be  in  charge  of  life  and  property  on  the  ocean. 

I  have  been  led  to  these  remarks  by  looking  over 
a  book  recently  handed  me,  issued  from  an  institu- 
tion which  proposes  to  certify  to  the  competency  of 
a  man  of  three  years*  experience,  as  first  mate  of  a 
first-class  ship  on  a  foreign  voyage,  with  perhaps 
hundreds  of  lives  on  board,  to  say  nothing  of  prop- 
erty, provided  he  can  get  by  heart  from  a  book,  and 
answer,  a  few  questions.  In  case  of  accident  to  the 
master,  the  command  must  devolve  upon  the  mate, 
on  whom,  in  such  an  event,  would  rest  a  tremendous 
responsibility.  The  risks  and  perils  of  the  ocean 
are  fearfid  enough  under  the  most 'skilful  manage- 
ment,  and  fearfully  are  they  increased  by  ineffi- 
ciency.   "  They  order  these  things  better  in-France." 

While  the  refitting  was  going  on,  our  Captain 
and  the  Messrs.  Scott  were  generally  on  hunting 
expeditions,  and  were  so  successful  that  the  whole 
ship's  company  was  supplied  by  them  with  fresh 
provisions.  We  had  kangaroo  cooked  in  various 
ways —  it  was  considered  excellent  meat  —  while  a 
variety  of  wild  fowl  and  fish,  which  also  were  abun- 
dant, afforded  us  fat  living.  Of  shell-fish  we  had 
none  but  oysters,  though  there  were  others  which 
we  did  not  use.  By  proceeding  down  the  river 
with  the  ebb  tide  a  few  miles,  and  letting  the  boat 
ground  on  a  mud  bank,  we  could  easily  load  her  to 
the  thwarts  with   the  finest  and  largest  of  oysters, 


II 


^^-^^^^irYI'v' OTTS^- 


144 


FOUE  AND  AFT. 


The  largest 


\\      II 


and  float  off  on  the  return  of  the  tide, 
of  these  bivalves  we  did  not  take,— a  shell  of  one 
such  will  contain  nearly  a  pail  of  water,  and  may 
sometimes  be  seen  in  our  cities,  indicating  the 
presence  of  an  oyster  shop.  We  remained  in  port 
a  number  of  weeks  after  the  ship  was  ready  for  sea, 
and  until  our  gentlemen  had  hunted,  fished,  and 
perambulated  the  country  to  their  satisfaction.  In 
most  of  the  boat  expeditions  I  was  of  the  crew,  and 
soon  showing  that  I  was  at  home  in  ti^e  manage- 
ment of  a  boat,  before  leaving  here,  I  wa«  given 
charge  of  one,  and  also  promoted  to  be  coxswain  of 
the  Captain's  gig,  which  was  a  pleasant  berth  in 
many  respects.  The  scenery  of  the  country  around 
Hobart  Town  is  equal  to  any  I  know  of.  The  fer- 
tility of  the  soil  was  said  to  be  all  that  could  be 
desired,  and  altogether  it  seemed  a  very  desirable 
place  to  inhabit.  We  left  it  with  regret,  and  now 
were  bound  to  Port  Jackson,  New  South  Wales, 
lying  about  10  degrees  to  the  eastward. 

After  a  week's  passage  we  entered  the  port,  and 
anchored  close  in  shore  off  the  town  of  Sydney,  and 
in  the  cove  of  the  same  name.  Here  we  moored 
ship,  unbent  sails,  and  made  preparations  for  a  long 
stay.  Formerly  a  port  regulation  was  enforced  at 
Sydney,  which  was  very  annoying.  On  the  arrival 
of  a  ship,  a  gang  was  sent  from  the  dock-yard  on 
board,  who  unbent  the  sails  and  took  them  on  shore. 
The  rudder  was  also  unshipped  and  taivcn  away, 
and  all  the  provisions,  over  a  week's  supply,  re- 
moved to  the  government  stores,  where  they  were 
dealt  out  weekly.     In  more  than  one  instance,  ships 


PI 


THE  SMOKING-OUT  PROCESS. 


HS 


had  been  taken  possession  of  during  the  night,  and 
run  away  with  by  the  convicts.  Therefore  this 
precaution  was  taken  to  pi  event  any  further  escape 
of  prisoners.  After  a  ship  was  loaded  and  ready 
for  sea,  the  provisions  were  returned,  the  sails  bent, 
and  the  rudder  replaced.  The  final  act  was  after 
the  ship  was  under  sail,  and  proceeding  to  sea  ; 
officials  came  on  board  and  smoked  the  ship  fore 
and  aft,  under  deck,  to  bring  out  stowaways,  if  any 
should  be  hid  away.  It  was  but  quite  recently  that 
all  of  this,  but  the  smoking  part,  was  abolished. 

Sydney  is  too  well  known  to  need  any  description 
of  mine.  It  was  a  large  and  handsome  town  in 
those  days,  (48  years  ago,)  finely  located,  v/ith  one 
of  the  best  harbors  in  the  world  before  it,  with 
depth  of  water  enough  close  to  the  shore  to  float  a 
frigate.  The  Paramatta  River,  which  runs  down 
back  of  the  t^wn  into  the  harbor,  had  then  but  a 
sparse  population  on  its  banks.  It  is  fair  to  pre- 
sume that  very  great  changes  have  taken  place  with 
its  immensely  increased  population,  and  especially 
since  the  discovery  of  gold  there.  Then  it  was 
hardly  known  whether  New  Holland  was  an  island 
or  a  continent;  now  it  has  no  te/'ra  incognita.,  and 
the  people  :«re  broad-spread  over  the  land  ;  then 
there  were  but  a  few  of  the  aborigines  linj^ering 
about  on  the  rocks  opposite  Sydney, —  miserable, 
hideous-looking  objectii,  nearly  naked  and  covered 
with  hair,  much  resembliijg  the  Fuegians  in  their 
looks  and  filth v  habits. 

After  discharging  the  cargo  and  taking  in  ballast, 
we  had  but  litlle  hard  work  on  board  ;  the  ship  was 
10 


■  t 

'■M 


■   ■  f 

ii 


itff 


^ 


m 


iM 


m 


m 


1 

If 

-',  I- 

:4 

3 

1 

:hiH 

I4'3 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


% 


kept  as  trim  as  possible,  the  snow-white  decks  were 
well  rubbed  with  holystone  and  sand  every  morn- 
ing, the  awnings  spread  fore  and  aft ;  at  eight  bells 
the  colors  were  hoisted,  and  the  boatswain  piped  to 
breakfast.  The  ship  had  six  guns,  and  once  a 
week  we  went  through  the  battery  exercise.  We 
had  a  good  deal  of  company  from  the  shore  to  dinner 
parties,  and  one  night  a  ball  was  given  on  bo.ird  in 
return  for  similar  attentions  received  on  shore,  by 
the  Captain  and  his  passenger  friends.  All  of  the 
festivities  on  board  were  enjoyed  by  "Jack,"  as  the 
music  of  the  quarter-deck  answered  for  the  fore- 
castle dance,  and  many  crumbs  of  comfort  found 
their  way  forward. 

The  boat  expeditions  were  also  kept  up  —  but 
our  gentlemen  did  not  hunt  as  much  here  as  at  the 
Derwent.  Almost  every  day  a  boat  was  sent 
afishing  for  the  ship's  use.  I  was  ordered  on  one 
occasion  to  get  the  gig  ready  for  a  trip  up  the  Par- 
amatta on  a  hunt.  The  Captain  had  a  friend  resid- 
ing at  the  village  of  Paramatta,  about  twelve  miles 
above  S}  dney,  with  whom  he  and  the  Scotts  were 
to  spend  a  few  days ;  the  boat  was  to  remain  there 
for  occasional  use  ;  myself  and  three  others  com- 
posed the  boat's  crew. 

On  arriving  at  our  destination,  I  had  orders  to  go 
with  the  crew  to  a  little  public-house  near  by,  get 
our  meals  and  lodging  tlierc,  keep  the  boat  clean, 
and  be  always  ready  for  a  start.  I  was  to  go  to  the 
Captain's  house,  about  half  a  mile  oft",  every  morn- 
ing for  orders,  and  if  not  wanted  for  tiie  day,  we 
were  at  liberty  to  loaf  as  we  liked.     The  first  nigiit 


re 

Il- 
ls 

to 


^e 

er 
in 

>y 

le 


le 


id 


IN  A  REAL  BED. 


147 


at  the  "  Red  Cow,"  for  such  was  the  name  of  our 
inn,  I  can  never  forget.  Since  leaving  the  Cape  I 
had  not  known  the  luxury  of  a  bed  ;  lying  on  a  chest 
with  my  clothes-bag  for  a  pillow,  and  a  blanket  for 
covering,  I  had  not  felt  the  need  of  any  other  sleep- 
ing arrangements.  My  island  life  had  inured  me  to 
enjoy  some  things  which  I  should  now  consider 
hardships. 

Established  in  comfortable  quarters  at  "  our  Inn," 
for  about  a  week  we  had  rare  enioyment ;  we  were 
seldom  wanted  by  the  Captain,  and  had  most  of  the 
time  to  ourselves.  The  first  night,  after  a  good 
regular  supper  at  a  table  spread  with  a  white  table- 
cloth, and  covered  with  the  usual  crockerv  and  fix- 
ings  to  be  found  at  a  second-c'ass  country  inn,  all 
of  which  was  rare  to  us,  we  passed  the  evening  in 
a  manner  very  agreeable  sailors  on  shore,  in  the 
enjoyment  of  a  glass  of  ale,  \  pipe,  checkers,  story- 
telling and  singing,  all  of  which  w  ore  indulged  in 
temperately,  as  became  the  crew  of  t!ie  Captain's 
gig.  On  retiring  for  the  night,  the  landlady  con- 
ducted me  into  a  snug  little  bedroom,  the  like  of 
which  I  had  not  seen  the  inside  of  for  yea.  s.  Be- 
ing the  officer  in  command  of  the  party,  and  per- 
haps the  best-looking,  as  well  as  the  youngest  of  ?  e 
lot,  I  had  the. best  quarters  assigned  me  ;  the  <  icrs 
were  disposed  of  in  one  room  by  themselves.  Set- 
ting the  light  down  and  directing  my  attention  to 
the  furniture  of  the  room,  and  hoping  I  should  sleep 
well,4.he  kind  and  pleasant  old  lady  bid  me  "  good- 
night" m  a  manner  that  at  once  carried  me  back  to 
my  boyhood's  days,  bringing  so  vividly  to  my  remem- 


wn\ 


iitf 


I 


li 


'-^\ 


'*j'' 

iu 


m 


SIN 


'1, 


", 


ilU 


148 


FOJ^E  AND  AFT. 


brance  the  oft-repeated  endearments  of  a  past  and 
far-distaiit  home,  perhaps  t "•  be  known  no  more, 
that  I  sat  down  and  gave  vent  in  tears  to  the  swell- 
ing and  strange  emotions  within.  I  took  a  good 
survey  of  the  premises,  which  were  furnished  with 
a  carpet  of  gay  colore,  with  a  regular-built  four- 
post  bedstead,  high,  and  with  fringed  curtains,  under 
which  was  a  feather  bed  and  pillow  to  match,  the 
coverlet  and  sheets  all  as  white  as  snow ;  a  wash- 
stand  with  all  its  accompaniments;  the  walls 
adorned  with  pictures,  and,  as  it  seemed  to  me, 
everything  which  a  luxurious  taste  could  demand. 
At  first  I  thought  there  must  be  a  mistake  ;  this 
could  not  be  for  a  common  Jack  Tjr  ;  she  must  have 
thought  I  was  the  Captain  of  the  ship,  and  I  waited 
some  time  for  her  reappearance,  to  correct  the 
erroi  ;  but  hearing  nothing  more  about  it,  I  con- 
cluded to  accept  the  situation,  and  make  the  most  of 
it.  In  order  to  take  the  full  benefit  of  the  act,  I 
stripped  to  "  bare  jooles,"  and  turned  in,  and  rolled 
and  revelled  in  a  good  feather  bed  in  such  perfect 
enjoyment,  that  I  scarcely  slept  during  the  night. 
Often,  in  later  years,  when  turning  into  a  very  com- 
fortable bed  at  night,  have  1  reverted,  in  thought,  to 
the  feather  bed  in  that  little  room  at  the  sign  of  the 
"  Red  Cow"  at  Paramatta  ;  and  vviih  ne  disparage- 
ment to  the  latter.  I  wonder  if  that  sign  still 
swings, —  the  comely  red  cow,  with  its  stub  tail,  a 
perfect  yiac  s/m/7c  of  a  similar  aniiial  owned  by  the 
landlady.  I  shall  never  forget  then  while  memory 
holds  its  seat.  May  "  peace  bo  within  thy  walls, 
and  prosperity  within  thy  gates, '  for  thou  hast  been 


STDNET  OBSTETRICS. 


149 


"««  an  oasis  in  the  desert  to  the  weary  wanderer  of 
the  sea. 

We  had  much  opportunity  to  go  about  on  shore 
if  we  wished,  but  we  were  so  comfortable  and  well 
contented  on  board,  thai  we  seldom  availed  of  it. 
The  huntinjr  and  fishinjj  excursions  sufficed  me  for 
recreation,  and  we  were  very  shy  of  the  people  of 
Sydney,  many  of  whom  were  convicts  who  had 
served  out  their  penal  term,  and  were  allowed  to 
remain  in  the  colonv.  Those  remaining  about  the 
towns  were  small  store  and  saloon-keepers,  loafers 
in  general,  not  pursuing  any  particular  calling,  but 
waiting  for  something  to  turn  up  which  brought 
game  to  their  nets,  and  especially  on  the  watch  for 
a  ship's  crew  on  liberty. 

Among  our  crew  we  had  a  man  called  "  Old 
George,"  who  had  made  one  or  two  voyages  to 
Sydney  before  this  one.  On  the  passage  he  often 
related  to  us  many  cases  of  shipmates  who  had  been 
taken  in  tow  by  the  -*  sharks  during  the  day,  when 
on  liberty,  shown  the  lions  of  Sydney,  and  as  soon 
as  it  became  dark,  being  just  in  a  condition  to  be 
easily  handled,  taken  to  a  by-place,  stripped  to  their 
nether  garments,  and  left  to  get  to  their  ship  as  best 
they  could.  Especially  did  he  caution  us  young- 
sters against  being  on  shore  after  dark  :  "  For,"  said 
he,  "  they  will  put  you  to  bed  with  a  cold  stone  for 
a  pillow,  and  without  covering."  Poor  George ! 
he  did  not  benefit  by  his  experience  as  well  as  we 
did  by  his  warnings.  One  morning,  having  the 
watch  on  deck  ju>L  at  daylight,  I  saw  a  small  hhore- 
boat  come  under  the  bows,   and  from    this  "  Old 


m 


■^:: 


ISO 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


George"  crawled  on  board,  with  nothing  on  but  his 
shirt ;  h  ''oped  to  get  on  board  unnoticed,  but  failed 
to  do  so.  The  p(^or  fellow  was  frequently  reminded 
of  this  adventure  afterwards  ;  his  was  the  only  case 
of  the  kind  that  happened  among  us. 

This  operation  was  designated  by  the  Sydney 
gentlemen  as  "  putting  a  cove  to  bed  and  delivering 
him  of  his  duds,"  the  midwife  being  a  man.  We 
looked  upon  the  people  as  a  set  of  piratical  thieves, 
with  whom  it  was  dangerous  to  have  anything  to 
do.  A  shore  boatman,  who  was  hired  to  tend  our 
ship  with  his  boat,  one  night  stole  the  large  cat- 
block  wdiich  was  used  for  taking  up  the  anchor, 
and  was  hanging  over  the  bows  ;  taking  it  to  another 
ship,  he  sold  it  for  one  dollar.  A  few  days  after, 
our  mate  saw  it  there  and  claimed  it — the  pur- 
chaser stated  how  and  from  whom  he  bought  it. 
Our  officer  charged  the  fellow  with  the  theft.  "  Oh 
yes,"  Teplied  the  scamp,  "  it  is  so,  but  I  will  steal 
it  again  to-night,  and  bring  it  back  again."  He 
did  so. 


1 


VALPARAISO. 


151 


CHAPTER   XIII. 


VALPARAISO. 

AFTER  remaining  at  Sydney  over  two  months, 
we  took  in  as  cargo  the  lower  hold  full  of 
coal  and  firewood,  and  sailed  for  Valparaiso.  Go- 
ing down  the  harbor  the  gang  of  smokers  came  on 
board,  and  the  entrances  were  closed  on  a  powerful 
smoke  under  deck,  but  no  rats  made  their  appear- 
ance, and  we  continued  on  our  voyage.  About  a 
week  out,  we  discovered  that,  by  a  leak  in  one  of 
our  iron  water-tanks,  our  stock  was  much  reduced  ; 
it  was  therefore  determined  to  call  at  New  Zealand 
to  replenish. 

We  came  to  anchor  in  xi  small  bay  at  the  north 
end  of  New  Zealand.  I  thin',  it  was  called  Sa- 
miston  Bay  or  Harbor  —  there  was  a  snug  little 
inner  harbor  or  cove  here,  where  water  was  to  be 
had,  and  into  which  our  boats  were  piloted  by  a 
native  canoe,  which  came  oti'  to  us  with  a  variety 
of  fruit,  principally  plantain  and  cocoa-nuts.  Two 
boats  were  sent  in  in  the  morning,  with  empty  casks, 
the  second  mate  in  charge.  We  observed  the  na- 
tives clustered  on  and  about  the  rocks  which  lay  at 
the  entrance,  and  over  which  the  sea  broke  with 
violence,  at  times  washing  over  them,  and  sweeping 
all  into  the  sea.  On  our  ajDproach  we  saw  they 
were  mostly  females  —  they  were  sporting  in  the 


153 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


surf  like  the  penj^uin  of  Prince  Edwards,  and  ap- 
peared to  care  no  more  for  the  breakers  than  the 
birds  did  ;  they  left  the  rocks  as  we  passed  them, 
and  swimminsT  after  the  boats,  evinced  bv  their  mo- 
lions  a  desire  for  us  to  kind.  We  anchored  the 
kugest  boat  at  a  proper  distance,  and  landed  the 
casks,  to  fill  at  a  small  stream  close  to  the  shore. 
The  crew  of  the  boat  at  anchor  had  mu^^kets,  but 
were  ordered  not  to  use  or  exhibit  them  without 
orders  from  the  officer  on  shore.  We  found  the  na- 
tives well  disposed,  and  eager  to  help  us,  after  they 
ascertained  what  we  wanted.  Some  trinkets  were 
distributed  to  those  that  helped  us,  and,  with  the 
exception  of  a  slight  attempt  to  remove  the  iron 
hoops  from  the  water-casks,  they  gave  us  no  trouble 
at  our  first  landing. 

I  was  not  in  the  boat  at  the  second  trip,  when 
there  were  but  four  or  five  casks  to  be  filled.  The 
second  mate  had  orders  not  to  leave  the  boat 
aground,  or  run  any  risks  with  the  natives  by  leav- 
ing the  boat  at  all  unguarded.  The  muskets  this 
time  were  not  put  in  the  boat,  as  there  did  not 
seem  to  be  any  occasion  for  them.  Several  native 
canoes  came  round  the  ship,  exchanging  their  com- 
modities for  iron  nails,  knives,  fish-hooks,  etc.,  and 
during  the  day  the  ship  was  well  supplied  with 
fruit  and  fish.  The  Captain  or  chief  mate  were 
watching  the  gang  on  shore  with  the  spy-glass,  and 
noticed  that  the  casks  were  filled  and  rolled  towards 
the  boat,  where  they  were  left,  while  the  officer  and 
three  men  were  strolling  away  from  the  other  three 
left  in  charge  of  the  boat.     Our  Captain  did  not 


u 


•  [... 


,1 


:i 


I'it 


—-.    -»',1->-,i.i,[i.-V! 


■liiijii  :''|ii![!r':!i 


li-  I 


THE  NEW  ZEALANDERS. 


153 


like  the  appearance  of  things  on  shore,  and  his 
anxiety  was  soon  increased  by  seeing  the  others 
also  go  ofl'in  a  different  direction,  in  company  with 
a  few  natives,  leaving  the  boat  entirely  alone.  Or- 
ders were  given  to  load  two  of  the  broadside  guns, 
and  fire  a  blank'cartridge,  to  call  the  mate's  atten- 
tion to  the  boat,  but  this  did  not  seem  to  have  the 
desired  effect.  Shortly  after,  the  natives  were  seen 
rushing  to  the  casks,  and  were  beating  them  to 
pieces.  A  twelve-pound  shot  was  now  fired  over 
their  heads,  and  soon  our  people  were  seen  running 
towards  the  boat,  where  they  arrived  in  time  to  save 
a  part  of  the  casks ;  the  hoops  of  the  others  had 
been  knocked  oft'  and  carried  away,  while  the  na- 
tives were  laughing  over  the  affair  as  an  excellent 
joke.  No  molestation  was  offered,  but  they  helped 
the  officer  to  gather  up  the  staves  and  push  the  casks 
off' to  the  boat,  with  which  he  returned  to  the  ship. 
It  seems  that  while  he  was  waiting  for  the  tide  to 
rise  and  float  the  casks,  he,  presuming  on  the  good 
behavior  of  the  natives,  thought  it  safe  to  go  to  their 
huts,  leaving  part  of  the  crew  to  guard  the  boat. 
The  guard  were  also  enticed  by  the  beautiful 
scenery  to  go  a  short  distance,  but  the  allurements 
led  them  on  until  the  natives  took  the  advantage. 
After  hoisting  in  the  water,  we  immediately  got 
under-weigh. 

At  Sydney  the  tattooed  heads  of  New  Zealand 
chiefs  were  frequently  offered  for  sale  alongside  the 
ship,  but  here  we  did  not  see  a  single  tattooed  face. 
We  were  here  about  thirty-six  hours,  procured  all 
tile  water  we  wanted,  and  though  no  accident  hap- 


154 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


pcncd,  it  was  not  owing  to  good  management.  I 
have  often  thought  how  indiscreet  our  ollicers  were 
on  that  occasion.  I  belic\'e  our  Captain  had  been 
there  before,  and  had  implicit  confidence  in  the 
people.  In  about  six  or  seven  weeks  we  were  olV 
the  island  of  Ju:m  Fernandez,  and  attempted  to 
stop  at  Cumberland  Harbor,  but  the  wind  headed  us 
at  the  entrance,  and  we  bore  away  for  Valparaiso, 
where  we  arrived  on  the  third  day. 

Passing  the  point  of  Angels,  and  casting  anchor 
in  Paradise,  I  somehow  felt  that  such  celestial 
names  must  surround  us  with  sweeter  influences 
than  had  yet  fallen  to  my  lot.  In  about  two  weeks 
we  had  discharged  the  cargo,  put  the  ship  in  good 
order,  and  were  daily  hoping  to  hear  that  our  next 
destination  would  be  to  some  part  of  Europe. 
There  was  but  one  American  ship  in  port — the 
Armenian^  of  Baltimore,  and  she  was  bound  home  ; 
a  single  visit  to  her  convinced  us  that  we  had  better 
remain  where  we  then  were,  and  prolong  our  ab- 
sence from  home,  than  be  subjected  to  the  treat- 
ment which  it  was  likely  we  should  find  under  the 
flag  of  our  country,  with  bad  ofiicers,  to  whom  the 
knocking  down  and  kicking  men  under  their  com- 
mand  seemed  to  be  daily  pastime. 

In  all  my  changes  from  ship  to  ship,  and  in  every 
situation  in  which  I  had  been  placed,  I  had  always 
made  known  my  nationality  ;  a  "purser's  name," 
i.  <?.,  a  fictitious  one,  I  had  never  used,  and  was 
never  treated  any  the  worse  for  it.  Hammond  and 
myself,  on  entering  on  board  of  an  English  man- 
of-war,  had  distinctly  informed  the  executive  officer, 


OUR  ^Ilt   IS  SOLD. 


155 


in  presence  of  the  crew,  that  \7c  were  Americans, 
that  force  of  circumstances  compelled  us  to  enter, 
and  should  war  occur  between  the  countries,  we 
would  not  fight  against  our  own  ;  it  was  with  these 
stipulations  wc  went  on  board,  and  I  have  no  right 
to  doubt  that  good  faith  would  have  been  observed 
towards  us.  I  had  felt  a  pride  on  coming  into  port 
and  seeing  the  glorious  Stars  and  Stripes  waving 
over  the  finest-looking  ship  in  the  fleet;  but  unfor- 
tunately we  anchored  so  near  her  that  we  were 
compelled  to  witness  scenes  of  brutality  that  caused 
us  to  feel  ashamed  of  our  countrvmen.  That 
ship,  we  know,  was  not  to  be  taken  as  a  criterion 
for  American  ships  in  general,  but  we  saw  enough 
to  cause  us  to  avoid  her.  We  therefore  concluded 
to  stick  to  the  Britoniart^  wherever  she  went,  until 
we  could  move  in  a  homeward  direction  in  a  de- 
cent ship. 

We  had  been  in  port  about  three  weeks,  when 
we  were  told  that  the  ship  was  to  be  sold,  and 
would  not  leave  port  again  under  the  present  own- 
ership or  oflficers,  and  that  all  hands  would  now  be 
paid  off*  but  a  boat's  crew.  This  was  sad  news  for 
us,  as,  not  being  of  the  original  crew,  we  could  not 
expect  to  be  retained.  Therefore  Hammond  and 
myself  received,  with  our  wages,  an  honorable  dis- 
charge, together  with  a  certificate  from  Captain 
Peach,  and  countersigned  by  the  Messrs.  Scott,  who 
were  part  owners,  "  that  we  were  American  citi- 
zens, and  were  good  seamen,  obedient  and  attentive 
to  duty,  and  recommending  us  as  such."  W^ith 
these  documents,  and  about  forty  dollars  apiece  in 


K 


f 


i      " 


156 


FO/^E  AND  AFT. 


our  pockets,  we  again  found  ourselves  adrift  in  a 
foreign  land,  poor  footballs  of  fortune,  little  imag- 
ining in  whicli  direction  the  next  kick  migiit 
send  us. 

/j'^  a  S'.Jlor  boarding-house,  paying  four  dollars  a 
week,  and  in  compariy  with  our  shipmates,  where 
we  had  to  keep  up  our  end  of  the  tab)'-  in  every 
respect,  or  appear  mean,  our  money  did  not  last 
long.  In  fact,  we  found  that  money  was  as  neces- 
sary, and  would  go  no  further,  in  Paradise  than 
elsewhere.  Getting  towards  'he  end  of  our  rope, 
we  had  been  anxiously  looking  out  for  a  siiip,  in 
the  hope  that  an  America'.!  vessel  would  come  in, 
and  give  us  a  chance  to  get  away  ;  or  that  tlie 
United  States  ship  Pranklin^  the  only  American 
man-of-war  on  the  coast,  would  arrive  from  Callao. 

We  had  no  intention  of  calling  upon  the  Gmsul 
for  his  kind  offices ;  but  week  after  week  passed, 
our  cash  was  gone,  and  CMr  best  (hids  had  to  be 
converted  into  daily  bread.  Our  s  lipmates  had  all 
joined  the  Chilian  frigate  O" fl/\.:gins^  Chili  and 
Peru  then  being  at  v;'ar.  Lord  Cochrane  being  in 
command  of  the  Chilian  Navy,  was  daily  visiting  all 
the  sailor  boarding-houses,  jingling  doubloons  in 
his  hands  as  pc  laders  to  Jack  to  take  service 
under  him.  \\\  cutting  out  the  frigate  J^smcraldu^ 
from  Callao,  the  boat  expedition,  headed  by  Coch- 
rane himself,  sutlered  sevcrelv  iu  men,  and  he  wa-j 
now  using  every  ex^ation  to  repair  his  losses.  A 
gold  doubloon  in  advance,  and  a  ))romisc  of  prize- 
money  being  the  inducements,  and  the  Lord  iiim- 
self  being  very  popular  with  his  crews,  for  he  was 


.?  fa  I 
ver) 


mg 


-*  IB  jS  I- 1 


SEEING   THE   CONSUL. 


■^si 


.•»  famouf>  fighter,  and,  at  the  present  time,  at  least, 
very  familiar,  drinking  with  the  sailors,  and  humor- 
ing their  fancies,  he  was  successful  in  picking  up 
all  the  drift  stuff  in  the  vale  of  Paradise. 

Hatnmond  and  myself  held  out  as  long  as  possi- 
ble. As  a  last  resource  we  went  to  the  United 
States  Consul  —  told  him  we  were  American  sea- 
men in  di.  tress,  wanted  to  get  home,  and  asked  his 
assistance.  He  inquired  what  ship  we  came  there 
in ;  we  told  him  :  he  asked  for  our  Custom  House 
protections;  we  tokl  him  they  were  lost  when  we 
were  wrecked  at  the  Cape,  but  produced  the  cer- 
tificates from  our  last  Captain.  lit-  examined  them, 
and  said:  "They  will  not  answer  —  you  came  here 
in  an  E'.glish  ship,  and  do  not  produce  satisfactory 
evidence  to  me  that  you  are  what  you  represent 
vourselves  to  be ;  "  and  would  have  nothinjj  to  do 
with  us.  We  requested  him  to  quest'on  r.s  about 
the  States  we  hailed  from,  and  if  we  coidd  not  an- 
swer to  his  satisfaction,  we  would  give  up  our 
claim.  An  old  man  writing  at  a  desk  said  to 
me  : 

''  You  say  you  are  a  Boston  boy,  so  am  I ;  now 
tell  me  what  is  the  weather-vane  on  the  top  of 
Faneuil  Hall,  —  is  it  a  rooster?" 

'•  No,"  replied  I,  "  it  is  a  grasshopper." 

*'  Right,"  s;dd  he ;  '•  I'll  guarantee  you  for  a 
Yankee." 

But  the  great  Consul.  Mr.  H.,  a  broken-down 
Irish  Baltimore  merchant,  would  not  listen  to  us. 
We  had  been  told  before  going  to  hisoflice,  that  if 
wc  would  hail  for  Irish  Americans,  and  Catholics, 


It 


'Ul 


m 


i< 


;i 

■;  1': 


n 


-if 


m 


158 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


\m 


we  would  be  taken  care  of,  and  we  told  him  so. 
We  were  ordered  out  of  the  office,  and  went,  but 
not  before  giving  him  the  benefit  of  our  opinion  of 
his  public  and  private  character,  without  fear  of  the 
^,olice,  which  he  threatened  us  with  ;  knowing  that 
we  could  flee  at  once  to  our  vScotch  friend,  who 
stood  ready  with  his  doubloon  to  receive  us. 

In  after  years,  in  command  of  a  fine  ship  in  Val- 
paraiso Bay,  I  had  invited  a  few  friends  on  board 
to  enjoy  a  salt-fish  dinner;  the  seedy  old  Consul, 
who  yet  remained  there,  but  out  of  office,  and  poor, 
and  who  was  said  to  be  generally  loafing  about  the 
ship-chandlers,  where  the  Captains  often  congre- 
gated, happened  to  be  there  on  this  occasion,  and 
invited  himself  to  be  of  the  party,  and  he  came. 
After  dinner,  wishing  to  impress  me  with  a  proper 
sense  of  his  long  official  services,  he  expatiated  on 
the  important  benefits  he  had  rendered  the  country, 
its  commerce  and  seamen.  I  responded  by  saying 
that  of  course  he  never  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  desti- 
tute American  seamen. 

"  Never,"  said  he ;  "  but  I  have  often  used  my 
own  funds  for  their  relief." 

"  Then  you  must  have  been  quite  short,  sir,  when 
you  drove  two  poor  Yankee  lads  from  your  office, 
and  forced  them  on  board  of  a  miserable  Chilian 
man-of-war." 

Then,  telling  the  story,  I  added  that  I  was  one 
of  the  lads,  and  had  always  hoped  for  an  opportu- 
nity to  remind  him  of  it.  I  was  happy  to  enter- 
tain him  with  the  best  the  ship  afforded,  and 
thanked  him  for  his  company.     Of  course  he  could 


!,    •  k 


IN  THE   CHILIAN  SERVICE. 


159 


not  remember  anything  of  the  occurrence,  but 
"Jack  Walsh,"  whom  everybody  knows  for  his 
frank  and  genial  hospitality,  who  has  visited  Val- 
paraiso .any  time  within  ten  or  fifteen  years  pre- 
vious to  1849,  exclaimed,  "If  that  is  not  heaping 
'coals  of  fire  on  a  man's  head,'  I  am  mistaken.". 

We  accepted  the  doubloon,  and  took  service  un- 
der the  Chilian  flag  in  the  war  which  was  progress- 
ing between  that  country  and  Peru,  without  caring 
much  which  part}'  should  whip,  or  be  whipped. 

I  pass  over  the  disgusting  details  of  life  on  board 
a  Chilian  man-of-war,  by  saying  that  it  was  miser- 
able in  the  extreme,  but  we  had  no  choice  between 
that  and  starvation,  and  our  intention  was  to  leave 
it  when  something  better  should  turn  up.  After 
about  four  months'  service  off  Callao,  Hammond 
and  myself,  with  about  twenty  others  who  were  on 
the  Doctor's  list,  were  sent  to  the  sloop-of-war 
Chaccabuco  as  invalids,  to  be  left  at  the  hospital 
atCoquimbo.  He  had  received  a  slight  injury  from 
a  fall  from  aloft,  and  I  had  a  slight  cut,  obtained  in  a 
scrimmage  on  a  boat  expedition.  Our  vyounds  were 
of  no  account,  but  we  fathered  them  in  such  a  man- 
ner that  they  made  a  great  show,  and  the  young 
ijrnoramus  of  a  doctor  condemned  us  as  unfit  for 
duty ;  we  were  taken  to  the  hospital  on  litters, 
though  we  were  actually  good  for  a  day's  march. 


mi 


v'n 
(] 

i 


i 


m 


I  M 


1.; 


Lu. 


'-  Mr 


ili'l 

1  ,i    hi 


i6o 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 


UNDER  The  stars  and  stripes. 


f  i:  ! 


i  11 


ON  entering  the  port,  our  eyes  were  blessed  and 
our  hearts  ghiddened  at  finding  in  port  the 
ship  Nautilus^  of  Boston,  at  anchor,  taking  in  cop- 
per. The  night  we  were  deposited  in  tiie  hospital  we 
were  able  to  leap  the  walls  if  we  chose  to  do  so,  but 
we  kept  quiet  for  a  few  davs,  waiting  for  our  ship 
to  sail.  By  inquiring,  we  found  the  Captain  of  the 
Nautilus  was  staying  at  the  city  about  five  miles 
from  the  port,  and  we  were  determined  to  see  him  ; 
therefore  the  Chaccabuco  was  no  sooner  out  of  port 
than  we  started  at  nijjht  for  the  citv,  and  arrived 
there  early  next  morning,  having  slept  a  few  hours 
on  the  road.  Easily  finding  the  hotel,  we  inquired 
for  the  Captain  of  the  American  ship,  who  soon 
came  to  the  verandali.  He  proved  to  be  Captain 
Charles  Pearson,  of  Beverly  ;  and  when  we  told  lum 
who  and  what  we  were,  and  of  our  burning  desire 
to  get  home,  he  entertained  us  kindly,  and  gave  us 
a  note  to  his  mate  to  receive  us  on  boaril  and  take 
care  of  us.  That  same  night  we  reached  tlie  port 
and  got  a  boat  to  put  us  on  board,  pa^ssing  as  two 
of  the  crew  returning  from  liberty  on  sliore.  We 
told  Mr.  Sampson,  the  chief  mate,  something  of  our 
past  history  and  our  present  condition,  and  solicited 
his  assistance,  which  was  promised. 


Iff 


ON  BOARD    THE  NAUTILUS. 


i6l 


our 


ci 


ted 


The  Nautilus  was  one  of  the  crack  China  sliips 
belonging  to  the  Perkins's,  of  Boston.  She  was 
from  Canton,  had  left  j^art  of  her  China  cargo  at 
Valparaiso,  and  was  at  this  port  taking  in  copper. 
We  went  to  work  with  the  crew,  and  when  the  Cap- 
tain came  on  board  he  told  us  that  if  we  went  round 
Cape  Horn  in  the  ship,  he  should  put  us  on  the  same 
wages  as  the  others.  From  this  port  we  proceeded 
to  Iluasco,  to  complete  the  lading  of  copper. 
Being  again  at  sea  "in  a  Yankee  ship  witii  a  Yan- 
kee crew,"  it  seemed  that  at  last  we  were  in  a  fair 
way  of  being  homeward-bound.  The  cargo  we 
were  now  taking  on  board  was  to  be  landed  in  Bos- 
ton—  the  chance  of  our  being  there  also  when  it 
should  arrive,  depended  on  what  might  happen  to 
us  at  the  next  port :  peril  of  the  seas  was  not  in  the 
calculation  ;  the  only  peril  we  could  recognize  was 
contact  with  a  Chilian  officer  who  might  recognize 
us.  Therefore  it  was  no  small  relief,  on  arriving  at 
Huasco,  not  to  find  a  ship-of-war  there. 

We  vyere  nearly  ready  for  sea  again  when  our 
hearts  sank  within  us  as  a  ship  made  her  appear- 
ance in  the  ofling,  bound  in,  and  wo  soO^i  made  her 
out  to  be  the  Chaccaluco.  It  seemed  as  if  our  hopes 
were  again  to  be  dashed,  and  we  had  got  to  return. 
to  Cochrane,  cockroaches,  and  Jerusalem  crickets. 
Mr.  Sampson  told  us  to  keep  out  of  sight,  and  not 
go  in  any  boat,  and  if  the  man-of-war  should  send 
a  boat  to  our  ship  he  would  stow  us  in  a  large  empty 
bread-locker.  Wc  not  only  watched  the  move- 
ments of  that  ship's  boat  ourselves,  but  all  on  board 
watched  for  us.  Before  dark  a  boat  was  seen  to 
II 


i 


11  ^1 


hi:j| 


m 


'■M 


m 


'  m 


1 62 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


In 


push  off  from  the  Chaccabuco  and  pull  towards  us, 
with  a  number  of  officers  in  the  stern-sheets,  and 
we  dove  into  the  bread-lockcr  ;  but  it  was  a  friendly 
visit.  The  officers  were  on  a  sponging  expedition. 
From  our  place  of  retreat  we  could  hear  the  jingling 
of  gla  jCS,  and  distinguish  familiar  voices,  which 
sounded  best  when  they  said,  "  Buenos  nochcs." 

Before  going  into  the  cabin,  two  of  the  Chilian 
officers  took  a  stroll  forward,  as  if  examining  the 
ship  ;  but  after  they  were  gone,  and  we  went  to  the 
forecastle  to  supper,  the  men  told  us  that  every  one 
of  their  faces  was  closely  scr'  nized  by  the  officers. 
The  fact  of  the  Nautilus  having  been  in  a  Chilian 
port  previous  to  coming  here,  and  they  having  lost 
so  many  men  by  desertion,  caused  them  to  watch 
narrowly  every  ship  bound  off  the  coast.  We  felt 
uneasy  ;  and  being  fearful  of  a  night  visit  to  our 
forecastle,  we  took  lodgings  that  night  in  the  foretop. 
No  visitors  came  ;  but  the  next  morning,  a  boat's 
crew  from  our  ship,  being  on  shore  on  duty,  were 
tampered  with  ;  gold  was  offered  them  to  take  ser- 
vice in  the  Chilian  Navy,  but  without  effect:  the 
Yankee  crew  were  well  contented  with  their  own 
ship  ;  the  description  we  had  given  of  the  service 
did  not  create  a  hankering  for  such  a  chansre. 
Twice  during  the  next  day  Hammond  and  myself 
visited  the  bread-locker ;  and  when  the  Captain 
came  on  board  in  the  afternoon,  with  orders  to  get 
under-weigh  immediately,  we  sprang  to  the  wind- 
lass witii  a  will.  Soon,  however,  we  dropped  our 
handspikes;  for  seeing  a  boat  pulling  towards  us 
from  the    Chaccabuco^  the  mate  ordered  us  below. 


Til 


HOME  WARD-BOUND. 


163 


In  our  retirement,  we  heard  and  knew  all  that  was 
going  on  upon  deck.  The  man-of-war's-men  as- 
sisted at  the  windlass.  "  Short  stay  rpeak,  sir," 
called  out  the  mate  from  between  the  night  heads. 
"Avast  heaving,  and  loose  the  sails  fore  and  aft," 
responded  the  Captain  ;  the  topsails  sheeted  home, 
and  the  three  yards  ascended  to  the  mast-head  to- 
gether ;  top-gallantsails  and  royals  the  same. 
*' Brace  the  head-yards  to  starboard, —  after-yards 
to  port,"  —  "coil  up  the  rigging,"  —  "man  the 
windlass  and  heave  away,"  came  again  from  the 
quarter-deck,  answered  with  the  hearty  "  Aye,  aye, 
sir,"  of  the  mate.  Cheering  as  these  sounds  were 
to  the  occupants  of  the  bread-locker,  still  more  so 
was  the  call  of"  C/iaccabucd's  away  ;  "  and  now  the 
anchor  aweigh,  and  the  cat  fall  manned  to  the  cheer- 
ful tune  of  "  Homeward  bound,"  we  rushed  from 
our  privacy  and  joined  the  glad  chorus.  "A  hand 
to  the  wheel "  ;  I  sprang  aft  in  obedience  to  the  order. 
The  yards  were  braced  sharp  to  the  wind,  and  as 
we  stood  to  sea  with  a  fresh  breeze,  I  am  positive 
that  not  a  weather  leach  lifted  while  I  was  at  the 
helm.  Occasionally  looking  astern,  I  rejoiced  to  see 
the  Chilian  growing  beautifully  less,  until  she  finally 
disappeared  behind  an  intervening  headland. 

yvnd  now,  fairly  at  sea  in  a  good  ship,  not  expect- 
ing to  anchor  again  until  after  passing  Boston  Light, 
our  joy  was  too  full  for  utterance.  A  few  days  at 
sea,  the  chafuig  gear  all  on,  and  everything  snug, 
we  found  ourselves  as  comfortable  as  could  be  de- 
sired. We  had  good  provisions,  and  plenty  of  them  ; 
the  officers  were  gentlemanly,  the  discipline  very 


: 


m 


( '  h 


im 


164 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


strict,  but  tempered  with  kind  words,"  with  an  entire 
absence  of  profanity  or  harsh  language.  The  Cap- 
tain was  a  man  of  few  words,  courteous  to  his  of- 
ficers, very  exacting  of  every  one  on  board  in  regard 
to  every  duty  ;  his  voice  was  seldom  heard  Dy  the 
crew,  and  he  was  not  very  sociable  with  his  officers, 
but  his  eagle  glance  saw  everything  below  and  aloft, 
fore  and  aft,  when  he  was  on  deck  ;  he  seldom  gave 
a  command,  except  through  tiie  proper  officer. 
Thus  good  order  prevailed  throughout.  A  ship 
was  ably  commanded  when  Capt.  Charles  Pearson 
*'  moved  the  monarch  of  her  peopled  deck." 

Approaching  Cape  Horn,  and  consequently  cold 
weather,  I  felt  how  poorly  provided  I  was  with 
clothing  suitable  for  a  high  latitude  or  a  winter's 
coast ;  bed  or  blanket  I  had  none,  thick  clothing  or 
boots  and  stockings  "were  not  among  my  wardrobe, 
but  I  was  the  fortunate  possessor  of  a  heavy  Greek 
greggo,  warmly  thrummed  throughout,  with  a  hood 
to  it.  This  served  for  bed,  bedding,  and  thick  jacket 
all  the  passage  home,  while  our  shipmates,  from 
their  abundance,  furnished  us  with  many  articles 
necessary  for  our  comfort.  Experiencing  the  uf.ual 
amount  of  heavy  weather  and  icebergs  in  doubling 
the  Cape  at  this  season,  we  passed  to  the  eastward 
of  the  Falkland  Islands,  steering  to  the  northeast. 

About  the  Cape  I  again  met  my  old  acquaint- 
ances of  Prince  Edward's  Island,  the  albatross. 
They  met  us  in  the  latitude  of  the  island  of  Chiloc, 
and  followed  us  into  the  Atlantic  until  past  the  Rio 
Plata.  A  few  days  after,  bearing  away  to  the  north, 
we  spoke  the  American  ship  Teaplant^  from  New 


1/ 


Til 


w 


AT  RIO. 


165 


York,  for  tlie  Pacific.  She  had  been  in  contact  with 
an  iceberg,  losing  her  foremast  and  bowsprit.  Siie 
was  now  bonnd  to  Rio  Janeiro,  under  a  jury-rig,  for 
repairs.  Our  Captain  olVercd  assistance,  but  none 
was  needed.  We  now  learned  that  our  ship  was 
to  call  at  Rio,  to  try  the  market  for  China  goods. 

We  arrived  at  Rio  after  a  fair  passage,  ship  and 
crew  in  good  condition,^  about  the  latter  part  of  Oc- 
tober, and  remained  here  two  or  three  days.  Not 
finding  a  market  to  suit,  we  sailed  again  after  filling 
our  water  and  obtaining  a  good  supply  of  fresh  pro- 
visions, vegetables  and  fruit.  While  here,  the 
coronation  of  Don  Pedro  the  First  took  place. 
Processions  and  salutes  by  dav,  and  splendid  fire- 
works at  night,  seemed  to  occupy  the  sole  attention 
of  the  people.  Two  of  us  had  been  to  the  market 
with  the  Captain,  and  were  returning  to  the  boat 
with  bags  of  vegetables  on  our  backs,  with  orders 
to  go  otV  to  the  ship.  On  our  way  we  somehovv 
got  mixed  in  with  a  procession  moving  towards  the 
Cathedral  in  the  Plaza,  and  as  our  course  was  in 
the  same  direction,  we  fell  into  tiie  ranks  and  en- 
tered the  Cathedial  with  the  crowd.  We  were  told 
the  Emperor  and  the  royal  family  were  to  be  pres- 
ent at  High  Mass,  and  the  populace  were  allowed 
to  be  present.  Barefoot,  with  duck  frock  and  trou- 
sers, and  an  old  Scotch  cap  for  costume  (my  com- 
panion in  about  the  same  rig),  we  compared  favor- 
ably with  the  crowd,  and  but  for  the  bags  of 
vegetables  v/ould  have  made  a  better  appearance 
than  the  majority.  We  got  sight  of  some  wcll- 
drcssed  persons  in  the  galleries,  among  whom  were 


I 


il 


w 


Wx 


m 


1 66 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


21 


!'     ! 


a  number  of  children,  ;uul  were  tolil  that  tlie  group 
consisted  of  the  Emperor  and  his  family  ;  but  as  we 
could  not  stop  to  be  presented,  we  left,  taking  it  for 
granted  that  wc  had  seen  the  elephants,  large  and 
small. 

Soon  after  leaving  Rio  wc  entered  the  Soutli- 
east  Trades,  and  tiie  ship  was  pressed  with  every 
useful  sail  towards  the  equator.  The  rigging  had 
been  put  in  the  best  possible  condition  previous  to 
our  joining  her.  The  wa^^ch  in  tlie  forenoon,  and 
all  hands  during  the  afternoon,  were  principally 
employed  in  fancy  work.  Every  block-strap  below 
the  tops,  and  every  ring-bolt,  were  grafted  ;  every 
rope's  end  pointed  ;  the  spare  sails  were  always  re- 
paired and  in  good  order,  to  replace  a  split  one ; 
necessary  work  always  had  the  preference. 

In  contrast  to  this  careful  policy,  I  am  reminded 
of  a  fine  Boston  ship  in  later  years,  in  which  I  was 
a  passenger  from  Valparaiso  to  the  States.  After 
leaving  port,  during  the  passage  to  the  Cape,  we 
had  much  fine  weather.  The  crew  had  watch  and 
watch  all  the  time  ;  the  watch  on  deck  were  part 
of  the  time  making  fancy  manilla  and  other  mats, 
said  to  be  for  presents  to  the  owner's  wife,  while  the 
ship's  work  was  neglected.  The  consequence  was 
that  while  lying-to  in  a  severe  gale  olV  the  Cape,  the 
best  main  topsail  being  split  and  blown  from  the 
bolt  ropes,  tiierc  was  not  a  spare  topsail  fit  to  re- 
place it.  All  the  spare  topsails  had  to  be  got  upon 
deck  and  examined,  the  best  one  selected  was 
hauled  into  the  cabin  and  the'crcw  set  to  work  re- 
pairing it,  while  the  ship,  heavily  laden  with  cop- 


A   SUSPICIOUS   CRAFT. 


167 


per,  was  wallowing  in  the  trough  of  the  sea,  and  in 
the  absence  of  this  very  essential  sail,  fearfully  ex- 
posed to  foundering,  with  all  on  board.  On  board 
of  the  Aa«///<r^j  everything  was  in  constant  readiness 
for  any  emergency  that  could  be  anticipated,  and 
which  the  hand  of  man  could  provide  against. 

In  the  latitude  of  Cape  St.  Roque  we  were  run- 
ning before  tlie  wind  with  everything  tct,  when  one 
day,  about  noon,  we  made  a  brig  aheail  lying-to,  with 
her  courses  up  and  topsail  aback.  As  we  approached 
her  without  altering  our  course,  she  hoisted  English 
colors,  but  had  a  suspicious  look,  ''  long,  low  and 
black."  She  made  no  attempt  to  speak  us,  and  we 
only  noticed  her  by  showing  our  ensign  ;  we  passed 
within  hailing  distance,  but  nothing  was  said.  Few 
men  were  seen  about  her ;  but  several  spy-glasses 
were  observed  just  above  her  rail  ;  those  on  board 
were  evidently  trying  to  make  out  the  character  of 
our  ship,  and  were  imdecided  about  us  imtil  after 
we  passed.  Our  vessel  was  low  in  the  water,  had 
painted  ports,  and  every  sail,  from  a  sky-sail  down, 
was  so  trimly  set,  that  she  might  easily  have  been 
mistaken,  while  approaching,  for  an  American  sloop- 
of-war.  At  half  a  mile  distance  from  the  brig  we 
heard  the  boatswain's  whistle  on  board;  in  a  mo- 
ment her  rigging  was  alive  with  men.  She  squared 
away  for  us,  and  was  soon  covered  with  ii  cloud  of 
canvas.  Our  crew  were  called  to  quarters,  and  all 
our  means  of  defence  were  got  ready  ;  the  ship  had 
four  twelve  or  iiine-pounders,  swivels  for  each  bow 
and  quarter,  with  a  good  chest  of  small  arms,  all 
of  which  were   carefully  loaded.      The  boarding- 


!,:>:*i 


m^ 


ii» 


m 


's 


1 68 


FOI^E  AND  AFT. 


vie 


pikes,  which  in  those  days  always  encircled  the 
maiinnast,  were  taken  down,  the  cutlasses  sharp- 
ened, and  the  crew  assigned  to  their  stations.  Now 
let  us  look  at  the  chase.  The  ship  was  dead  before 
the  wind,  which  was  her  best  condition  for  sailing; 
the  course  had  been  changed  a  few  points.  To  ef- 
fect this  the  yards  fore  and  aft  were  squared  to  a 
nicety,  the  square  sails  aloft  distended  by  sheets  and 
halyards  to  their  utmost  dimensions;  the  studding- 
sails  on  both  sides  of  tiie  mainmast,  top-mast,  top- 
gallant and  royal,  with  the  midship  canvas  from 
the  sky-sail  to  the  course,  and  her  ladyship,  in  full 
crinoline,  was  "walking  the  waters  like  a  thing  of 
life." 

A  tiling  of  beauty  she  certainly  was.  The  best 
helmsman  was  at  the  wheel,  to  whom  the  injunction 
was  frequently  given  "  to  watch  her  sharp,  and 
steer  small,"  the  mate  watching  the  helm  and  sails, 
shifting  a  studding-sail  occasionally,  to  catch  the 
transient  pufls.  The  second  officer  attended  to  the 
guns,  and  directed  the  crew  in  the  use  of  them, 
while  Captain  Pearson,  walking  the  deck  in  his  quiet 
manner,  his  usually  dark  features  now  some  shades 
darker,  with  decided  determination  in  his  eye, 
plainly'  showed  that  he  meant  fight  if  the  brig 
should  overhaul  us. 

About  3  p.  M.  the  brig  was  in  our  wake,  two  miles 
astern,  the  wind  about  two  points  on  the  quarter, 
the  sails  all  drawing,  except  the  lee  studding- 
sails  forward.  For  an  hour  or  so  the  distance  be- 
tween us  was  evidently  decreasing — she  was  gaining 
on  us ;  the  dark  countenance  on  our  quarter-deck 


A   STERN  CHASE. 


169 


grew  darker ;  a  shot  from  her  bow  gun  could  reach, 
and  might  cripple  us.  '  Keep  her  dead  before  the 
wind,  and  crowd  every  sail  possible  on  to  the  main- 
mast," was  the  order,  and  again  the  good  ship  ilcw 
before  a  freshening  breeze.  As  the  sail  siiell  of  the 
ocean,  whose  name  we  bore,  finds,  as  he  spreads  his 
membranous  sail  on  a  summer  sea,  that  his  greatest 
speed  is  before  the  wind,  so  it  was  with  us. 

Our  pursuer,  up  to  this  time,  (clt  sure  of  closing 
up  alongside  of  us  ;  but  a  "  stern  chase  is  prover- 
bially a  long  one,"  and  she  found  it  so.  The  brig 
altered  her  course  to  conform  with  ours,  and  her 
yards  squared  accordingly.  It  soon  became  evident 
that  they  were  short  of  studding-sails;  this  gave  us 
another  advantage.  "  Shall  I  wet  the  sails  down, 
sir?"  asked  the  mate.  "No,"  replied  the  Captain, 
*'  we  are  dropping  her."  The  breadth  of  water 
was  now  plainly  widening  between  us.  Long  be- 
fore dark  the  rascally  looking  craft  hauled  on  a 
wind  to  the  eastward,  and  was  soon  hull  down. 
Our  Captain  came  to  the  conclusion  that  she  was  a 
pirate,  or  an  outward-bound  slaver,  looking  to  ob- 
tain an  outfit  of  stores  and  provisions  by  robbing  a 
defenceless  merchantman,  which  decidedly  objec- 
tionable method  was  not  unusual  in  those  days. 


i.m  tpt  •  www  ( mv )' w* ' 


170 


FO/?E  A  AD  AFT. 


CHAPTER    XV. 


HOME    AT    LAST. 


AS  vvc  drew  towards  tiie  Equator  wc  again 
greeted  the  North  Star,  —  this  tine  in  the 
xvorth  Atlantic,  where  lor  \cars  I  had  lon^/ed  to  be- 
hold  it,  for  it  brought  homo  ne.ucr.  We  iiad  also 
taken  our  leave  ot  the  Southern.  Cross,  and  those 
mysierious  clouds,  once  the  hope,  and  also  the  fear, 
of  the  early  ni.'vi gators.  Before  passing  iJermuda, 
the  tarring,  p;n!it'ng,  and  holystoning  had  all  been 
gone  through  with,  and  the  ship  was  ready  to  go 
into  port.  Northerly  winds  prevailed  after  ciossing 
the  Ciulf  stream,  and  the  ftrst  land  made  was  Block 
Island,  oil'  which  we  fell  in  with  a  Vineyard  jiilot- 
boat,  and  took  on  l)oard  S\lvanus  Daggett,  a  well- 
known  pilot,  to  take  the  ship  over  the  shoals  and 
in:o  Boston  Bay.  That  afternoon  we  anchored  in 
IIohn"<i's  Hole,  to  wait  a  fair  wind.  This  was  early 
in  Decj'nib'.'r.  The  next  morning  a  shore  boat,  with 
*'  Daddy  Linton  "  and  his  three  blue  paintcil  iirkins, 
containing  mince  pics,  fried  eels,  and  \arn  stockings, 
came  alongside — a  welcome  visitor  to  those  who 
had  money,  but  forward  of  the  windlass  there  was 
none  of  that  conunodity.  Who  ever  heard  0"  a 
sailor  goiijg  to  sea  without  spending  all  his  nujuey 
at  the  last  port?  He  wouUl  be  considereii  a  lubber, 
ttnd  lose  caste  with  his  shipmates  were  he  not  to 


IN  BOSTO.V  BAT. 


171 


do  so.  Tliorcforc  as  we  had  neither  money  nor  its 
equivalent  to  oircr,  wc  were  oblij^cd  to  liefcr  our 
n^ince  pics  until  we  should  meet  them  with  a 
'*  Merry  Christmas  "  at  home. 

The  next  mornin^j  wr  were  aj^ain  under-wcigh, 
and,  with  a  stroiig  westerly  witul,  made  fine  progress, 
passing  around  Cape  Cod  during  the  niglit ;  tlic 
next  Jioon  we  were  becalmed  in  the  bay.  Towards 
sunset,  in  the  eastern  horizon  a  dark,  heavy  bank 
was  slowly  rising,  which  we  telt  to  be  the  precursor 
of  an  eastcrlv  storm  ;  the  wind  set  in,  as  davli''ht 
closed,  from  the  north-east,  with  snow  ami  thick 
tlarkness.  Under  single  reef  topsails  we  hauled  out 
seaward,  sadly  tlisappointed  and  sorrowful.  The 
next  twentv-four  hours  we  had  no  favorable  change. 
Tacking  siiip  anil  clearing  oil'  snow  kept  the 
vvatclicsbusy  during  the  time,  but  at  length  the  snow 
ceased  falling,  and  the  weather  partially  clearing,  we 
made  sail  into  the  bay.  At  9  i».  m.  we  were  lying- 
to  oil"  Boston  Light,  liring  for  a  pilot ;  for  about  two 
hours  waiting,  sending  up  rockets,  and  keeping 
a  good  light,  but  none  came.  Again  the  easterly 
sky  looked  threatening;  the  Vineyard  pilot  ollered 
to  carry  the  ship  in,  but  the  Captain  declined  the 
oiler,  and  again  we  stood  olf.  After  midnight  it 
lighteil  up,  and  we  boro  away  for  the  Light  again. 
At  davlight  no  boat  was  to  be  seen  ;  so  ''  Svlvanus" 
was  put  in  charge,  the  lighthouse  was  passed,  and  we 
kept  up  the  harbor  w  ith  a  fresh  breeze  from  tlie  north- 
cast.  Approaching  the  city,  the  ship  was  reduced  to 
the  topsads  ;  and  now  we  witnessed  the  superior  skill 
of  our  pilot.    Heretofore  he  appearetl  so  lifeless  and 


^m  I 


.■'  ? 


■'  N 


11 


173 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


moping,  tliat  he  failed  to  inspire  us  with  confidence 
that  he  could  handle  a  ship.  All  at  once  he  roused 
himself,  and  rattled  ofT  his  orders  with  a  vohibilitv 
and  distinctness  that  amazed  us.  "  Stations  at  the 
braces  fore  and  aft."  "  Mate,  h:.ve  your  hawser 
ready  on  the  starboard  bow,  with  good  lines  on  the 
bow  and  quarter ;  have  your  fenders  over  on  the 
starboard  side."  All  of  which  was  done.  We  ran  up 
past  the  wharf,  and  tacked.  Now  heading  the  flood 
tide,  we  went  through  a  series  of  evolutions  under 
the  three  topsails,  backing  and  filling,  until  in  a 
masterly  manner  the  ship  was  placed  alongside  the 
end  of  the  wharf,  and  the  final  order  given  :  '•  Get 
your  fasts  out,  and  lower  away  your  topsails." 
Such  a  handling  of  a  ship  by  a  Boston  pilot  in  his 
own  harbor,  where  he  is  perfectly  acquainted  with 
its  tides,  is  expected,  as  a  matter  of  course  ;  but  our 
Vineyard  pilot  did  not  look  like  a  man  equal  to 
such  a  feat. 

Two  hours  afterwards  I  took  my  way  up  Central 
Wharf,  after  an  absence  of  over  six  years,  with  just 
about  wages  enough  due  me  from  the  Nautilus  to 
get  a  decent  suit  of  clothes,  and,  thanks  to  Almighty 
God  for  His  preserving  and  protecting  goodness,  I 
was  in  good  health,  and  enriched  by  a  considerable 
portion  of  practical  experience.  On  my  way  towards 
South  End  in  the  afternoon,  in  search  of  my  kindred, 
still  in  company  with  Hammond,  we  saw  quite  a 
crowd  of  people  clustered  around  the  front  steps  of 
a  liouse  in  Summer  Street ;  on  the  top  step  was  our 
pilot,  Sylvanus  Daggett  himself,  "  pretty  well  over 
the  bay,"  —  delivering  a  temperance  lecture  to  his 


TO 


THE  PARTING   OF  FRIENDS. 


^73 


audience.  And  now  I  close  this  long  and  eventful 
voyage  in  parting  with  my  firm  friend  and  ship- 
mate, with  whom  I  had  passed  throngli  so  many 
scenes  of  weal  and  woe.  Hammond  was  a  stran- 
ger in  the  city,  and  accompanied  me  in  my  visit  to  a 
friend's  house  in  Sea  Street,  where  I  met  a  sister ; 
while  I  was  in  a  private  room  with  her,  he  was. left 
in  the  parlor  entertaining  the  ladies  of  the  house 
with  some  of  his  sea  yarns,  occasionally  refreshing 
the  inner  man  with  cake  and  wine  ;  soon  1  was 
convinced,  by  the  shouts  and  laughter  of  the  com- 
pany, that  Hammond  was  "glorious";  but  when 
he  commenced  singing,  and  finding  a  "ready  cho- 
rus" in  the  three  or  four  delighted  girls  who  sur- 
rounded him,  1  thought  it  time  to  convey  him  to  his 
boarding-house.  We  parted  the  next  day,  since 
wifich  time  I  have  never  heard  of  him. 

Finding  great  changes  at  home,  which  had  oc- 
curred during  my  absence,  to  which  it  was  hard  to 
become  reconciled,  and  which  came  suddenly  upon 
me,  us  I  had  not  heard  from  home  all  these  long  years, 
and  my  kindred  had  long  since  given  mc  up  as  lost, 
I  soon  felt  dispofjcd  to  be  afloat  again  on  my  ocean 
home.  Soon  finding  a  voyage  and  a  vessel  to  sail, 
I  again  shipp'^d  before  the  mast  for  a  voyage  to  the 
Mediterranean.  Perhaps  I  might  have  passed  mus- 
ter for  a  situation  aft,  but  1  did  not  choose  to  beg 
for  it,  and  1  had  no  "  friend  at  court"  to  help  me. 
The  vessel  was  nearly  new,  commanded  by  Captain 
Luce;  the  n?ate's  uow.n  vvas  Luce,  and  there  were 
three  other  J^uce's  before  the  mast ;  but  there  was 
jiothiner  /oose  about  the  vessel,  the  officers  or  the 


V. 


'74 


FORB  AND  AFT. 


v: 


crew.  Tlic  voyage  to  Smyrna  and  back  was  pleas- 
ant and  prosperous,  but  devoid  of  incident. 

Befriended  by  my  last  C-iptain,  I  was  ofiered,  on 
returning  to  Boston,  the  situation  of  chief  mate  of  a 
brig  bound  to  City  Point  and  Europe.  I  preferred 
to  go  as  second,  but  that  berth  was  filled.  I  had 
no  doubt  of  my  competency  to  the  duties  of  the  of- 
fice except  in  my  knowledge  of  navigation,  whicli, 
although  not  what  it  should  have  been  to  qualify 
one  for  liiat  position,  was  sufficient  to  enable  me  to 
work  out  what  is  called  '*  dead  reckoning,"  and  I  felt 
that  daily  practice,  with  close  application,  would 
soon  make  all  right.  I  also  was  deteriiiined  that  I 
would  go  through  all  the  regular  grades  to  the  com- 
mand of  a  ship,  should  I  ever  attain  it ;  but  here 
there  was  no  chance  to  do  as  I  desired,  and  being 
assured  that  I  was  competent  by  one  who  ought  to 
have  known  (my  late  Commander),  I  took  my  fare- 
well of  theyc?rf?-castle  and  stepped  aft. 

In  the  brig  Eunice  1  went  to  City  Point,  loaded 
with  tobacco  for  Cowes  and  a  market,  from  Cowes 
to  Hamburgh,  and  back  to  City  Point,  performing 
n  y  duties,  I  had  reason  to  believe,  w  th  satistactiou 
to  the  Captain  and  owners.  In  my  previous  voy- 
flire  lo  Smvrna  I  had  there  met  with  mv  old  friend 
of  Prmce  Edward's,  Mr.  Burnhum.  He  was  now 
first  mate  Kyw  board  tlie  Midas^  of  Baltimore,  in- 
tended to  sail  from  thai  port  for  the  futuac,  aiw! 
urged  me  to  come  tnere  and  sail  with  him.  On  niy 
return  to  City  Point  i  decided  on  doing  so,  as  1  felt 
that  the  position  of  an  officer  under  him  would  Nj 
a  good  school  for  me.     Arriving  tiiere,  I  wa*  siifijr 


EXPLANATORY, 


J  75 


to  find  that  he  had  just  sailed  in  command  of  a 
ship  ;  therefore  I  kept  on  to  Boston,  and  engaged  as 
second  mate  of  a  ship  bound  to  Rio  Janeiro  and 
Europe,  carrying  out  my  determination  to  go 
through  the  mill  ship-shape. 

My  purpose  in  writing  from  tiic  present  time, 
will  be  not  to  describe  every  voyage  or  place  visited, 
but  in  tracing  the  progress  of  a  cabin  boy  upward, 
to  give  some  of  the  incidents'  of  a  few  of  my  voy- 
ages vvhicli  may  be  intercsring,  as  showitig,  as  they 
probably  will,  how  liilTerendy  voyages  were  prose- 
cuted then  and  now,  and  also  perha[)s  seme  mate- 
rial changes  that  have  taken  place  in  various 
countries,  and  in  things  that  reh?«^e  to  the  sea. 
Therefore  I  refer  to  my  old  journals,  or  the  nost  in- 
teresting ones,  to  furnish  what  follows.  Perhaps 
some  of  my  seafaring  brethren  may  treat  as  ridicu- 
lous the  idea  of  an  old  sailor's  giving  to  the  public 
an  abstract  of  his  vovages,  with  observations  on 
places,  people  and  things,  which  are  commotiplace 
and  familiar  to  him,  who  has  travelled  over  the 
same  ground,  and  is  so  well  acquainted  with  similar 
scenes  himself.  To  such  1  would  say,  Brother,  I 
write  not  for  vour  amusement  or  edification,  buf; 
the  great  majority  of  the  reading  public  desire  to 
have  just  such  information  as  you  and  I  can  impart 
to  them,  of  ''  matters  which  we  saw,  and  part  of 
which  wt  were."  Instead  of  sharply  criticising 
and  tindiug  fault  with  "  Fore  and  Aft,"  please  to  sit 
down  yourself  and  write  out  your  own  experiences 
in  your  own  wav ;  the  world  mav  be  the  wiser  for 
it.     A  man  who  has  passed  thirty  or  forty  \cars  in 


m 


1 


176 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


roaming  over  the  globe  must  be  laden  with  rich  ex- 
periences, unless  he  has  passed  along  with  his  eyes 
shut,  which,  if  imparted  to  the  many  who  have  not 
been  much  abroad,  cannot  fail  to  interest  and  en- 
lighten them,  and  especially  the  young.  Sailors  are 
generally  inclined. to  reticence  on  shore  in  answering 
questions  of  landsmen  in  relation  to  their  adventures, 
for  the  reason  that  many  mere  matters  of  fact  that, 
almost  incredible  to  dwellers  on  the  land,  are  of 
frequent  occurrence  in  a  sea  life,  seem  so  ditlerent 
from  anything  known  within  the  horizon  of  home, 
that  the  relator  of  them  is  apt  to  be  looked  upon  as 
drawing  a  long  bow  ;  or  at  least  he  is  considered  as 
being  a  very  odd  fish,  and  such  he  certainly  is,  for  he 
swims  in  every  sea  that  divides  the  continents  and 
washes  every  shore.  Now  it  seems  to  me  that  if  the 
periodical  repetition  of  ''•  Letters  from  the  White 
Mountains,"  which  are  so  thoioughly  done  brown 
every  season,  continues  to  interest  the  public,  surely 
the  men  of  the  sea,  who  can  say,  — 

*'  Far  as  the  winds  can  blow,  the  ocean  foam, 
Survey  our  empire  and  behold  our  home," 

may  be  supposed  to  bo  able  to  speak  and  write  of 
matters  new  and  strange,  that  may  interest  many 
and  enlighten  some. 

The  ship  in  which  I  now  sailed  was  a  tolerably 
good  model  for  that  day,  and  about  400  tons  burden, 
rather  advanced  in  years,  but  she  was  seaworthy, 
and  had  comfortable  accommodations  under  deck 
for  officers  and  crew,  where  a  crew  should  always 
be  quartered.      The  ship  was  insufficiently    fitted 


t€(l 


A   MEAN  POLICY. 


177 


out,  the  provMsIons  and  stores  being  nil  of  the  poor- 
est description.  The  owners  of  this  ship  were 
proverbial  for  the  meanness  of  their  outfits,  and 
were  an  exception  to  all  other  Boston  owners  with 
whom  I  had  to  do  in  after  years.  Before  sailing,  I 
was  ordered  by  the  owner  to  overhaul  the  spare 
rigging  on  board,  and  report  to  him.  I  did  so,  and 
stated  that  several  coils  of  spare  running  rigging 
were  wanted. 

"  What,  sir,  is  there  not  a  great  quantity  of  ropes 
on  board  ?  " 

*'  Yes,  sir ;  but  not  a  spare  piece  fit  to  hang  a 
cat  with." 

*'  Well,  sir,  you  don't  want  to  hang  a  cat ;  what 
do  you  want  to  hang  a  cat  for  ?  " 

I  could  not  give  any  reason  for  anticipating  such 
an  event,  but  I  suggested  that  it  miglit  be  desirable 
to  hang  a  studding-sail-yard  occasionally.  Xo  new 
rigging  was  ordered.  From  this  specimen  of  econ- 
omy may  be  inferred  the  character  of  the  general 
outfit.  A  weok  or  ten  days  out,  all  hands  were 
taken  with  severe  pains,  and  bowel  complaints; 
after  diligent  investigation  it  was  found  to  be  occa- 
sioned by  the  use  of  u  villa  lous  compound  called 
domestic  cofiee,  burnt,  ground,  and  put  wyy  in  bar- 
rels. It  was  a  cheap  arilclc,  and  would  save  the 
expense  of  burning,  and  getting  a  cofiee-inill.  The 
cofiee,  and  a  good  many  other  articles  of  like  char- 
acter, were  thrown  o^'erboard  by  the  Captain's  or- 
ders, during  the  voyage,  and  replaced  at  the  first 
port  with  a  better  quality.  It  is  mistaken  economy 
to  put  on  board  a  ship  poor  provisions  and  stores, 
za 


i 

1 

m 


178 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


as  in  sucli  cases  a  portion  goes  over  the  lee  bow  suf- 
ficient to  nudic  Ihcni  the  dearest  to  the  owner  ;  jjood 
provisioiks  are  not  wasted  on  ship-board,  —  they 
are  worked  up  clean, —  the  crew  are  kept  contented 
and  healthy  ;  when  hard  worked  they  do  not  grnm- 
ble,  and  it  is  far  better  for  the  owners. 

Our  Captain  was  a  young  man  on  his  fust  com- 
mand. A  tolerable  navigator,  but  not  much  of  a 
seaman,  he  had  been  pushed  forward  by  influential 
friends  faster  than  he  ought  to  have  been,  went 
cheap,  and  upon  the  whole  was  a  clever,  pleasant 
man  to  get  along  with,  but  he  was  too  fond  of  a 
glass.  This  habit  was  hardly  perceptible  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  voyage,  but  it  grew  upon  him  so 
that  twice  during  the  voyage  he  would  have  run 
the  ship  on  shore  but  for  the  interference  of  the 
mates.  A  few  years  after  this  voyage  the  poor 
young  man  jumped  overboard  in  a  fit  of  delirium 
tremens^ 'M\i\  *'died  as  a  fool  dieth."  The  chief 
mate  was  a  good,  old-fashioned  sailor,  who  knew 
his  business.  "  Faithful  below,  he  did  his  duty,  and 
now  he's  gone  aloft."  We  also  had  for  supercargo 
a  gentleman  who  had  long  been  in  the  China  trade, 
making  and  losing  several  fortunes  —  Bryant  P.  Til- 
den,  Esq.  The  ship  was  chartered  by  him.  lie 
was  always  gentlemanly,  kind  to  everybody,  and 
very  liberal,  thereby  contributing  very  much  to  ren- 
der the  voyage  pleasant  to  all  on  board. 

We  arrived  at  Rio  in  January,  discharged  our 
cargo,  and  took  in  another  of  sugar  and  coffee,  and 
sailed  again  for  Trieste  early  in  March.  In  speak- 
ing of  Rio  as  it  then  was,  1  omit  much  recorded  in 


\i  ■  u 


^!  n 


THE  SLAVE-TRADE. 


»79 


our 
and 
cak- 
:d  in 


my  journal,  and  will  only  copy  an  article  on  slavery, 
as  I  then  saw  it  in  sonie  of  its  leatures. 

DminjT  our  stay  at  Uio  seven  slave-sliips  arrived 
from  Guinea,  deeply  freighted  with  {:jroanin<;,  inof- 
fensive human  beings.  I  went  on  board  one  of 
them  to  buy  some  paroquets,  and  beheld  a  scene  of 
wretchedness  that  made  me  shudder.  Tiic  ship 
was  American  buiil,  of  about  300  tons  burden,  and 
purchased  for  the  slave-trade.  When  leaving  the 
coast  on  the  present  voyage,  there  were  375  blacks 
on  board,  men,  women  and  children,  some  of  the 
females  with  infants  at  their  breasts. 

The  chief  mate  of  the  ship,  1  am  sorry  to  say, 
was  an  American,  a  native  of  New  York.  From 
him  I  had  the  particulars  which  I  give,  and  some 
others,  which,  for  humanity's  sake,  I  forbear  to  relate. 
Part  of  the  cargo  was  obtained  from  the  chiefs  in 
exchange  for  rum  and  mu!-kets ;  the  balance  were 
kidnapped  from  their  homes  by  the  crew  of  the 
ship,  not  by  sailors.  A  sailor  who  deserves  the 
name  of  one,  would  sooner  sink  with  his  bark  in 
the  depths  of  the  ocean  than  pollute  her  deck  with 
such  an  abominable  cargo.  The  crew,  I  am  glad 
to  say,  were  Brazilians  and  Spaniards,  with  the 
single  exception  above  mentioned  ;  and  this  fellow, 
from  1  free  State,  while  giving  me  the  details  of  the 
voyage,  was  superintending  the  preparation  of  the 
cargo  for  market. 

They  were  driven  upon  deck  twelve  at  a  time, 
the  bit  of  cloth  around  the  waist  torn  oiV,  the  head 
shaved  ;  after  which  they  were  made  to  get  into 
tubs  of  salt  water  filled  from  the  head  pump,  where 


'  i 


i8o 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


I » 


tlicy  were  scrubbed  and  rinsed  off,  then  placed  In 
the  Sim  to  dry  before  being  oiled  all  over.  Ironed 
togetlier  sn  paifs,  they  were  tiien  taken  on  siiore,  to 
be  solil  at  auction  in  tlie  public  square.  '*  We  have 
lost,"  s,aid  my  infoimant,  ''  190  of  theni  since  leaving 
tlir  coast ;  being  short  of  water,  we  bad  to  let  some 
of  them  perish."  And  this  ilemon  in  human  shape 
coulil  inquire  of  me  for  news  from  liome  and  friends, 
unmindful  that  he  himself  had  been  a  principal 
agent  in  tearing  asunder  the  holy  ties  of  kindretl, 
and  consigning  families  to  misery,  whose  only  crime 
consisted  in  being  covered  with  a  black  skin.  But 
the  same  condition  of  things  has  existed  in  portions 
of  my  own  country,  the  same  disregard  <-f  human 
rights,  the  same  scenes  of  brutality  dail)  enacted, 
and  bv  those  who  called  themselves  Christians,  and 
who  tried  to  cover  their  iniquities  by  insisting  that 
the  condition  of  the  African  was  bettereil  by  stay- 
ing with  kind  masters  to  care  for  them. 

Recrossiiig  the  Equator,  and  running  across  the 
North-east  Trades,  we  made  Saint  Mary's,  one  of 
the  Western  Islands,  after  a  passage  of  59  days  from 
Rio.  This  island  is  the  easternmost  of  the  group 
belonging  to  the  Portuguese.  Its  ilrst  appearance 
was  forbidding,  presenting  a  chain  of  mountains, 
without  exhibiting  any  signs  of  verdure;  but  on  a 
nearer  approach  the  scene  changes — the  white  cot- 
tages appear  on  the  hill-sides — groves  of  orange 
and  other  fruit-trees  gradually  disclose  themselves, 
and  manifest  their  character  by  the  perfume-laden 
breeze  that  greets  our  senses  when  a  few  miles  dis- 


IN  THE  MEDITERRANEAN. 


iSi 


tant  from  the  island.  Becalmed  here  ft)r  a  day,  we 
felt  it  rather  aggravating  that  we  could  not  get  a 
taste  of  the  good  things  that  tantalized  us  with  their 
rich  perfumes.  Eight  days  after  this  we  were  in 
sight  of  Cape  Trafalgar,  famous  as  the  scene  of  one 
of  Nelson's  victories ;  two  days  liter  vvc  were  run- 
ning along  the  south  coast  of  Fpain,  with  brisk,  fa- 
voring gales,  and  in  smooth  water.  The  variegated 
scenery  of  the  shore  has  a  lovely  appearance.  The 
long  chain  of  the  Almeira  Mountains,  that  extend 
parallel  with  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  their  tops 
covered  with  eternal  snows,  contrast  fniely  with  the 
fertile  and  beautiful  valleys  that  slope  gently  to  the 
shores. 

Another  week,  and  we  are  between  Malta  and 
Sicily  ;  yesterday  wc  were  coasting  along  the  Sicil- 
ian coast,  about  two  miles  distant  from  it.  There 
are  few  objects  that  more  delightfully  charm  the 
senses  of  the  weary  wanderer  of  the  ocean,  than 
the  magnificent  picture  which  opens  before  him 
like  some  lovely  dream,  on  an  approach  to  tl>c 
Sicilian  coast ;  from  its  green  shores  covered  with 
luxuriant  foliage,  he  inhales  mingled  perfumes  from 
groves  of  orange  and  citron  —  lields  of  clover  and 
flowers,  and  vineyards  teeming  with  grapes,  White 
coita};cv  <iot  the  surface  from  the  mountain  top  to 
the  hi  ore,  mid  such  cidliv»»tion  and  fertility  as  make 
it  sccri  on',;  cotitinnous  garden.  The  turrets  of  an 
ancient  castle  occasionally  appear,  and  the  never- 
failing  monastery  or  convent  in  a  Catholic  country, 
with  villages  and  towns  but  a  few  miles  apart,  to- 


riil 


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WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

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X82 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


gether  with  Mount  Etna,  crowned  with  its  eternal 
snow  shooting  from  among  the  clouds. 

And  now  we  are  in  sight  of  Zante,  one  of  the 
Ionian  Islands,  at  the  entrance  of  the  Adriatic. 
These  islands  formerly  belonged  to  the  Turks  ;  then 
the  seas  hereabouts  were  much  infested  by  pirates  ; 
lately  they  were  ceded  to  the  British  on  condition 
that  they  kept  a  sufficient  force  there  to  drive  the 
villains  from  their  lurking-places.  And  well  has 
John  Bull  kept  his  covenant ;  every  pirate  that  fell 
into  his  hands  went  to  the  yard-arm  without  benefit 
of  clergy.  These  pirates  were  found  to  be  Greeks, 
almost  without  an  exception.  Two  days  we  were  in 
the  Gulf  of  Venice,  w^ith  light  winds  and  pleasant 
w  jather,  the  Morea  on  our  right  liand  and  the  south 
coast  of  Italy  to  the  left.  Oil'  Ancona  we  encoun- 
tered a  severe  blow  from  the  north,  but  the  water 
was  smooth,  and  under  double  reefed  topsails  we 
worked  up  opposite  Rovigno,  where  we  took  a  pi- 
lot for  Trieste,  arriving  there  and  anchoring  at  the 
Lazaretto  on  the  4th  of  June.  The  passage  from 
Rio  had  been  a  long  one ;  but  peace,  harmony,  and 
good  order  prevailed  throughout  the  ship,  and  the 
time  passed  pleasantly. 

We  were  ordered  to  perform  fourteen  days  quar- 
antine. The  greatest  annoyance  which  persons  ex- 
. perience  in  visiting  the  Mediterranean  arises  from 
the  quarantine  regulations,  and  these  mu-^t  be  strictly 
adhered  to.  The  Lazaretto  where  we  performed 
quarantine  and  discharged  our  cargo,  was  built  by 
Maria  Theresa  about  1785?  ^^  ^  found  by  an  inscrip- 
tion on  the  walls.     It  is  cut  off  from  all  communi- 


IN  QUARANTINE. 


•83 


cation  with  the  city  by  a  high  wall  which  entirely 
encircles  it.  It  has  a  spacious  harbor,  well  sheltered 
by  a  mole,  and  is  strictly  guarded.  The  Governor 
of  the  place  has  a  house  within  its  precincts,  and 
makes  his  rounds  night  and  day,  to  see  that  the 
guardianos  attend  to  their  duty.  Extensive  maga- 
zines are  here,  in  which  to  store  and  air  cargoes ;  it 
contains  also  thirty-two  sets  of  apartments  for  passen- 
gers, who  are  locked  up  every  night.  The  Captains 
and  crews  are  allow  ed  to  go  on  shore  in  the  daytime, 
attended  by  a  guardiano,  and  walk  on  a  large  shaded 
enclosed  square,  separated  by  a  high  wall  from  one 
appropriated  for  passengers  ;  here  they  walk  and 
exercise  most  of  the  day,  returning  on  board  before 
sundown.  Every  Sunday  the  crews  are  allowed  to 
come  on  shore  to  church,  and  attend  mass  at  the 
chapel  of  the  Lazaret. 

There  are  also  small  burying-grounds  for  all  of 
different  religions  who  die  in  quarantine.  Every 
ship  entering  the  port  is  met  at  a  proper  distance 
by  the  Health  and  Custom  House  boats,  and  exam- 
ined. Those  arriving  from  the  Levant,  BarLary 
Coast,  or  any  suspected  place,  and  subject  to  quaran- 
tine, are  forbidden  to  enter  the  port  of  the  city,  and 
directed  to  steer  for  that  of  the  Lazaretto.  Imme- 
diately on  arriving,  the  Captain  lands  to  report  the 
name  of  his  ship,  what  his  cargo  is,  where  from, 
length  of  passage,  the  number  of  his  crew,  and, 
above  all,  the  state  of  health  on  board  ;  if  the  last 
item  is  not  satisfactory,  he  is  ordered  to  sail  for 
Venice,  where  the  hospital,  being  oa  an  island,  is 
considered  the   most  suitable  place  for  an  infected 


m 


184 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


!:.    N 


\S'W^  '. 


Si- 


ship.  If  the  report  be  favorable,  the  crew  and  pas- 
sengers are  brought  on  shore  and  examined  by  the 
physician  of  the  establishment ;  standing  at  a  short 
distance  ofT,  they  expose  to  him  their  breasts,  smartly 
striking  on  them  and  on  their  groin,  those  being  the 
parts  in  which  the  plague  generally  shows  itself; 
should  the  whole  crew  stand  this  test,  they  are  re- 
manded on  board  under  the  watch  and  care  of  a 
guardiano,  who  lives  with  them  on  shipboard.  As 
soon  as  possible  the  cargo  is  exposed  to  the  air, 
and  for  the  week  following  no  communication  is 
allowed  with  the  shore.  This  period  is  called 
"  surino."  After  the  expiration  of  this  the  cargo  is 
landed  by  the  crew  and  placed  in  magazines,  where 
it  is  opened  and  exposed  to  the  air  until  the  termi- 
nation of  the  quarantine.  The  crew  are  obliged  to 
remain  on  board  during  this  time,  unless  the  Cap- 
tain or  a  passenger  wishes  to  be  accommodated  in 
the  Lazaretto,  in  which  case  he  is  assigned  a  pri- 
vate gua.'diano,  without  whose  attendance  he  can- 
not move  from  his  apartment ;  here,  too,  he  may  have 
a  few  days  deducted  from  his  time,  as,  being  on 
shore,  he  is  considered  less  liable  to  infection  than 
those  on  board.  Ships  from  the  Black  Sea  always 
have  a  foul  bill  of  health.  There  were  a  number 
in  that  trade  who  had  not  been  out  of  quarantine 
for  six  or  seven  years,  discharging  their  cargoes 
and  sailing  again  before  the  time  expired  to  admit 
them  to  pratique.  The  time  of  confinement  is  fixed 
by  the  Board  of  Health  in  Trieste,  who  are  too  de- 
pendent to  commit  any  crying  injustice.  There 
has  been  no  infection  at  Trieste  since  the  comple- 


COMFORTS   OF  CONFINEMENT. 


185 


tion  of  this  Lazaretto.  A  passenger  having  rooms 
here  has  not  much  reason  to  be  dissatisfied,  other- 
wise than  at  his  loss  of  time  ;  his  friends  in  the  city 
are  allowed  to  send  him  provisions,  wine,  books,  or 
anything  that  may  contribute  to  his  comfort ;  he  has 
a  good  room  to  sit  in,  a  good  bed  to  lie  on,  and  a 
good  fire,  if  wanted,  good  provisions,  good  wine  and 
cigars ;  and  a  man  who  could  be  unhappy  in  such 
circumstances,  unless  sick,  I  should  pronounce  a 
natural  grumbler.  I  fully  coincided  in  feeling  \yith 
the  writer  of  the  following  lines,  written  on  the 
walls  of  a  room  there  :  — 


I 


iti. 


It 


III 


"  By  various  means  we  seek  from  gloom  to  flee, 
On  land  in  chariots,  in  ships  at  sea; 
Vain  are  these  arts  the  joys  of  life  to  win, 
For  what  we  seek  without  must  dwell  within. 
A  cheerful  mind,  exempt  from  guilt  and  care, 
May  find  its  pleasures  here  or  anywhere ; 
Kings  without  this  in  palaces  may  fret, 
And  joy  with  this  pervade  a  Lazaret." 


I  Mi 
p  I 

H 
m 


We  received  pratique,  or  release  from  quarantine, 
about  a  week  ago,  and  are  now  moored  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  canal  waiting  for  cargo.  Much  might 
be  said  of  this  fine  city  and  its  surroundings,  but  as 
that  would  take  me  out  of  my  element,  I  pass  to  say, 
that  with  tt  cargo  of  rags  and  brimstone  we  sailed 
for  Boston,  arriving  there  after  a  fair  passage,  with- 
out any  remarkable  experience. 


!i!    (h 


i86 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 


A   TRIP  TO    CUBA. 


AFTER  making  eight  or  ten  voyages  to  Europe 
as  chief  mate,  most  of  them  to  Liverpool,  I 
made  the  last  one  in  this  capacity  to  Cuba,  which, 
as  it  had  some  peculiarities,  I  will  describe.  The 
brig  Samos  was  a  first-rate  vessel,  equal  in  all 
respects  to  any  other  of  her  class  that  floated.  To 
the  credit  of  her  eccentric  but  very  liberal  owner, 
she  was  well  furnished,  in  respect  to  stores  and 
provisions,  for  a  voyage  to  Havana  and  Europe. 
On  the  morning  of  our  departure  from  Liverpool 
Wharf,  the  crew  came  on  board  in  good,  olcl-fash- 
ioned  shape,  each  one  with  a  good  chest  of  duds, 
a  clean  and  neatly-lashed  hammock,  with  clothes- 
bag  to  match.  To  be  sure,  their  landlord  came 
with  them,  and  a  part  of  them  were  a  few  sheets 
in  the  wind,  —  one  or  two  might  have  been  con- 
sidered drunk,  —  but  these  drawbacks  were  charge- 
able to  the  miserable  svstem  of  advance-wasfes, 
which,  in  general,  benefits  only  the  landlord,  and 
is  productive  of  much  trouble  between  officers  and 
men,  and  frequent  loss  to  the  owners.  There  were 
enough  sober  men  to  loosen,  sheet  home  the  top- 
sails, and  get  the  vessel  clear  of  the  wharf.     They 


..': 


OLD  LUFKIN. 


187 


all  had  the  appearance  of  good  seamen,  and  would 
do  well  enough  after  the  rum  was  out  of  them.  As 
they  were  passing  their  traps  on  board,  a  brother 
mate,  who  was  there  to  see  me  off,  pointed  to  one 
of  the  hands  among  the  crew  as  one  who  had  sailed 
with  him  on  a  long  voyage,  and  said  :  "  There  is  a 
man  who  is  every  inch  a  sailor :  he  is  a  first-rate 
seaman,  always  sober,  attentive,  and  obedient. 
You  will  never  have  any  trouble  with  him."  And 
old  Lufkin  proved  himself  during  that  voyage,  and 
in  after  years  in  which  I  had  knowledge  of  him, 
to  be  as  fine  a  specimen  of  a  Yankee  sailor  as  any 
captain  could  wish  to  see.  But  more  of  him  anon. 
I  knew  nothing  of  Captain  C,  our  commander, 
previous  to  sailing,  but  soon  found  out  there  was 
little  prospect  of  comfort  for  that  voyage.  Captain 
C.  was  a  good  marlin-spike  sailor,  but  as  for  any 
of  the  requisites  which  are  considered  necessary  to 
constitute  an  oflBcer  in  American  ships,  and  espec- 
ially a  captain,  he  was  sadly  deficient.  Most  of  his 
life  had  been  spent  in  the  forecastle  of  North  Country 
colliers,  where  he  ought  to  have  remained.  He 
was  a  Scotchman,  ignorant,  close-fisted,  and  mean. 
He  was  not  content  to  earn  and  eat  his  bread  be- 
neath the  Stars  and  Stripes,  but  sought  every 
occasion  to  speak  disparagingly  of  the  Yankees. 
Sometimes,  of  course,  this  was  the  occasion  of 
strong  argument  between  us.  He  could  not  com- 
mand the  respect  of  his  officers  and  crew  ;  and  he 
did  not.  In  contrast  with  this  man,  I  hold  in  pleas- 
ant remembrance  many  shipmasters  and  gentlemen 
of  that  nation,  who  were  ornaments  to  humanity. 


it! 
•  i 
if 


^!!|P.i  fuiwji^wi|if.|H!!,f  MB  mfim^,-.'  v.^u'Wfm.'Wf^ffm^^r'^!^' 


ni,i»y!PHi|yi« 


i88 


J^OBE  AND  AFT. 


How  such"  a  man  obtained  command  of  so  fine  a 
vessel  was  always  a  mystery  to  me.  It  might  have 
been  that  he  went  for  low  wages,  and  reasoned, 
like  his  countryman,  "  It  was  nae  the  muckle 
wages  that  he  cared  about,  but  the  wee  things  he 
could  pick  up  about  decks."  If  this  was  so,  the 
result  in  both  cases  was  probably  the  same.  The 
wee  things  paid  the  best. 

The  passage  out  was  remarkable  for  nothing  but 
its  length  of  twenty-seven  days'  hard  work,  hard 
words,  and  scant  fare.  The  cabin  breakfast,  for 
the  entire  passage,  consisted  principally  of  lob- 
scouse.  Every  sailor  knows  what  this  mess  is, — 
good,  occasionally,  when  well  put  together ;  and 
no  doubt  it  was  a  feast  to  a  person  brought  up,  as 
our  captain  used  to  boast  he  had  been,  "  on  oatmeal 
burgoo,  fed  with  a  horn  spoon."  But  twenty-seven 
brea^cfasts  in  succession,  of  lobscouse,  were  too 
much  of  a  good  thing  for  Yankee  officers.  There 
were  many  articles  put  on  board  marked  "  Stores," 
which  are  usuall}'  found  on  the  tables  of  American 
ships,  and  no  doubt  were  intended  for  ours ;  but  as 
they  never  appeared  there,  they  were  probably  on 
the  list  of  "  wee  things." 

The  crew  were  mostly  Americans,  and  just  such 
men  as  I  should  like  to  see  on  a  ship's  deck,  if  I 
was  a  captain ;  but  they  were  badly  treated  by 
Captain  C,  who  was  continually  interfering  with 
the  authority  and  duty  of  the  mates,  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  all  discipline.  I  felt  convinced  that  the 
crew  were  determined  to  leave  the  ship  at  the  first 
port 


^fUtW^'?  Fyy^/M.THIIBIIH  l|puiy^^^|ff>H7fyH^')ft^'P(,l  "y^i^iyyHjiWji.'twIH^ 


'  f 


THE   CREW  DESERT, 


189 


We  arrived  at  Havana,  and,  after  the  usual 
preparations,  hauled  into  the  quay,  to  discharge. 
The  method  of  loading  or  unloading  there  was  to 
lie  with  the  ship's  head  against  the  quay,  with  the 
stage  rigged  from  the  bow  to  the  shore.  The  morn- 
ing after  we  were  thus  connected  with  the  shore, 
all  hands  were  called  at  an  early  hour.  The  call 
was  responded  to  by  the  "Aye,  aye,  sir,"  of  Luf- 
kin,  and  he  alone  made  his  appearance.  "  I  am  all 
hands,  sir ;  there  '"  nobody  else  in  the  forecastle," 
was  his  reply,  in  answer  to  the  call  to  "  hurry  up 
there."  Sure  enough,  on  going  into  the  forecastle 
I  found  but  a  single  chest.  The  crew  had  cleared 
out,  bag  and  baggage,  and  had  taken  the  cook  with 
them.  I  felt  vexed  at  first,  but,  on  reflection,  could 
not  blame  them,  especially  as  their  "dead  horse" 
expired  that  day.  They  probably  felt  they  had 
wori-icd  for  all  the  pay  they  had  received,  and  could 
reason  themselves  into  the  belief  that  they  had  a 
right  to  flee  from  such  servitude  as  was  before 
them.  So  aft  I  went,  and  reported  to  the  Captain. 
Of  course  he  was  furious. 

"Go,  sir,"  said  he,  "and  have  Lufkin's  chest 
and  duds  brought  aft.     He'll  go  to-night." 

I  told  him  "  the  man  was  at  duty,  and  would  not 
desert.  If  he  had  intended  to  do  so,  he  would  have 
gone  with  the  others." 

'•  Have  them  aft,  sir,  immediately  ;  and  if  he  says 
a  word,  put  the  irons  on  him." 

1  went  forward  and  told  Lufkin  "  his  chest  must 
be  passed  aft  for  safe  keeping,"  and  sent  the  second 
mate  down  to  help  him  get  it  up.   After  a  sufficient 


M 


,\ 


W  >S! 


-T"*™^ 


190 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


W^  ■ 


n 


^1 


ti ,  :  'i 


I 


time  hatl  elapsed,  as  the  chest  did  not  make  its 
appeaiaiicc,  I  called  out  to  know  the  reason,  and 
was  informed  "  that  the  owner  would  not  let  it 
come."  I  went  down,  and  found  the  old  sailor 
sitting  on  his  castle,  like  a  man  that  had  a  perfect 
right  to  do  so. 

"  Your  chest  must  be  taken  aft.  Such  is  the 
Captain's  order." 

"What  for,  sir?" 

"To  preveat  your  running-  away." 

Planting  himself  tirmly  on  his  chest,  and  straight- 
ening himself  up  with  the  look  of  an  insulted  man, 
he  replied  : 

"  I  am  only  a  common  sailor,  Mr.  P.,  but  I  am 
an  American.  I  have  been  at  sea  longer  than  you 
have.  I  never  sailed  under  any  flag  but  that  of  my 
country  ;  I  fought  under  it  when  Captain  C.  was 
probably  fighting  against  it.  If  ever  there  was 
cause  for  a  man's  running  away,  it  exists  here.  I 
never  yet  deserted  from  a  ship,  and  never  mean  to ; 
but  this  chest  is  my  own,  bought  and  paid  for  with 
my  own  earnings.  It  shall  not  be  taken  from  me, 
for  I  have  done  nothing  to  forfeit  it." 

I  felt  the  justice  of  his  arguments,  and  made  up 
my  mind  that  if  the  Captain  wanted  the  chest,  he 
must  get  iL  himself.  I  made  my  report  accordingly, 
and  freely  offered  my  opinion  that  the  man  should 
be  trusted ;  but  this  only  aroused  the  Captain's 
anger.  With  oaths,  which  I  will  not  repeat,  he 
shouted : 

"  You  are  a  coward,  and  afraid  of  a  sailor.  I'll 
have  his  chest,  and  go  for  it  myself." 


mt/fuy,9*i,' 


THE  LAST  OF  LUFKIN. 


191 


"Well,  sir,  j'oii  may  go  if  yon  please,  I  will  not. 
Ycii  may  call  it  cowardice,  or  what  you  choose." 

The  captain  rushed  to  the  forecastle  hatch  and 
jumped  below,  as  furious  as  a  tiger  ;  but  in  fifteen 
or  twenty  minutes  he  emerged  as  calm  and  subdued 
as  a  lamb.  What  the  arguments  were  that  produced 
the  change  we  never  knew,  but  no  violence  was 
used.  The  chest  remained  in  the  forecastle,  its 
owner  at  his  duty. 

Old  Lufkin  finished  the  voyage  in  the  vessel,  and 
proved  himself  to  be  "  every  inch  a  man,"  and  so 
fine  a  specimen  of  the  Yankee  sailor,  that  I  am 
glad  to  be  able  to  trace  him  for  many  years  after  the 
above  voyage.  His  character  continued  to  be  such 
that  he  is  justly  entitled  to  public  record. 

About  thirteen  years  after  the  above  occurrence, 
I  sold  the  ship  I  was  in  charge  of,  and  took  passage 
for  Boston  at  Valparaiso,  in  the  ship  Chill.  On 
going  on  board  who  should  greet  me  at  the  gang- 
wav  but  old  Luff.  lie  was  boatswain  of  the  ship, 
and  had  been  in  her  more  than  one  voyage.  The 
same  stout,  hearty-looking  tar  of  former  years,  but 
rather  gray, — too  old  to  lay  out  to  the  lee-earing 
in  a  gale,  and  obliged  to  use  "  barnacles "  in  re- 
pairing sails  on  deck,  or  strapping  a  block.  How 
long  he  remained  in  that  ship  I  know  not ;  but  some 
three  or  four  years  afterwards,  when  the  diggings  in 
California  were  inducing  the  desertion  of  both  offi- 
cers and  men  from  most  of  the  ships  that  entered 
the  Golden  Gate,  I  read  a  letter  in  p.  Boston  paper, 
from  the  Captain  to  his  owners,  stating  "  that  the 
ship  Chili  was  laid  up  at  San  Francisco,  and  that 


ill 


■  til 


if 


m 


'm 


192 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


i\ 


1^  1m:ifr'^ 


all  hands  but  himself  and  old  Liifkin  had  deserted. 
Here  wo  will  leave  him,  and  return  to  the  good  brig 
Santos. 

A  shore  gang  discharged  the  cargo,  and  got  the 
hold  in  readiness  to  take  in.  It  being  necessary  to 
overhaul  the  rigging,  we,  /.  c.  the  two  mates  and 
one  man,  had  been  compelled  to  work  hard  day 
alter  day,  and  all  day,  under  a  burning  tropical  sun. 
Any  Captain  of  common  humanity  would  not  have 
allowed  us  to  work  so  in  the  intense  heat.  Other 
Captains,  who  occasionally  came  on  board  our  ves- 
sel, remonstrated  against  it,  telling  Captain  C.  *'  he 
must  be  more  careful  of  his  mates,  or  he  vvould  soon 
be  without  officers,  as  no  white  man  could  stand 
such  exposure  in  this  climate."  His  answer  would 
be  :  "  They  are  paid  for  working ;  they  let  the  crew 
desert,  and  now  they  may  do  the  work  themselves. 
I  shall  not  prevent  them,  whether  they  get  sick  or 
not." 

There  were  at  least  three  masters  of  American 
ships,  at  that  time,  who  soon  cut  his  acquaintance, 
as  being  an  unfit  associate  for  gentlemen.  One  of 
them  was  "  Hawser  Martingale,"  a  gentleman  well 
known  to  the  community  of  Boston  ns  an  accom- 
plished ship-master,  an  able  editor,  and  an  efficient 
Mayor. 

One  forenoon,  after  a  smart,  drenching  shower, 
succeeded  by  a  hot,  scorching  sun,  through  all  of 
which  we  were  continuing  our  work,  —  which  was 
setting  up  the  topmast  backstays,  —  I  was  taken 
down  with  the  usual  symptoms  of  Cuban  fever, 
dizziness  and  delirium,,  and  was  passed  aft,  under 


li: 


DOWN   WITH  FEVER. 


193 


the  awning.  The  second  mate,  leavhig  me  in  charge 
of  Luf  icin,  went  on  shore,  hunted  up  tlie  Captain, 
and  reported  my  case.  His  reply  was  (I  will  not 
repeat  all  of  it),  "I  will  not  come."  And  he  did 
not ;  but  the  Captain  of  the  ship  Cowper^  of  Boston, 
did.  lie,  seeing  my  condition,  and  learn'  ,  the 
circumstances,  without  waiting  to  confer  witu  my 
Captain,  called  a  calcche^  put  me  into  it,  and  had 
me  conveyed  to  a  quiet,  comfortable  houbo,  where  I 
was  well  •:  ■ued  for. 

T  well  remember  that  when  I  returned  to  con- 
sciousness, many  days  after,  I  found  myself  on  a 
comfortable  mattrass,  under  a  high  mosquito-bar, 
with  soft  pillows  and  snow-white  sheets,  and  other 
et  cetera^  which  seemed  new  and  strange  to  me. 
The  room  was  cool,  singing-birds  and  flowers  were 
in  the  darkened  windows.  I  thought  I  must  be 
dreaming.  I  tried  to  sit  up,  but  fell  back  from 
weakness.  I  could  only  remember  being  carried 
under  the  awning ;  there  my  reckoning  seemed  to 
be  up.  Again  I  looked  around,  but  saw  nobody.  I 
made  some  exclamation.  No  one  replied.  I  v/as 
too  weak  to  get  to  the  window,  to  see  if  I  could  tell 
my  whereabouts  by  observation ;  but  I  did  observe 
that  near  my  bedside  was  a  small  table,  that  on  it 
was  a  bowl  and  spoon,  that  above  the  edge  of  the 
bowl  something  projected  that  much  resembled  a 
chicken's  leg,  minus  the  feet  and  feathers, 

About  the  same  time  I  also  discovered  ti^^t  I  was 

very  hungry.     Whatever  had  seemed  like  pleasant 

dreams  before,  there  were    now  two    established, 

wide-awake  facts,  that  could  not  be  controverted : 

M 


w 


ill 


* 


Mf 


)f 


!  Jl 


I 


f 


"  H 


1 

m 


li 


194 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


ii. 


I  was  hungry,  and  here  was  something  to  eat.  It 
was  very  evident  I  had  been  sick,  and  that  some- 
body had  taken  care  of  me  ;  also,  that  in  anticipa- 
tion of  my  waking,  something  had  been  prepared 
for  me  to  eat,  —  probably  chicken-broth.  If  it  was 
not  proper  for  me,  why  was  it  there?  For  the 
further  elucidation  of  the  matter,  I  put  out  my  hand 
to  reach  the  mess,  whatever  it  might  be.  By  get- 
ting to  the  edge  of  the  bed,  and  making  a  long  arm, 
I  just  reached  the  edge  of  the  bowl  and  got  hold  of 
the  drum-stick.  Accomplishing  this,  I  found  it  was 
impossible  to  get  back  to  bed,  as  I  could  not  relin- 
quish my  hold  without  falling  on  the  floor,  neither 
could  I  hold  on  any  longer.  Therefore,  in  my  next 
effort,  the  table,  with  the  bowl  of  broth,  was  cap- 
sized in  the  opposite  direction,  and  I,  with  the 
chicken  propeller  attached  to  me,  fell  to  the  floor. 

As  I  could  not  get  up,  and  evidently  had  undis- 
puted possession  of  the  floor,  I  was  proceeding  with 
the  discussion  of  the  chicken  question,  when  I  was 
interrupted  by  a  voice  from  the  door-way,  "  Lordy, 
Lordy,  massa  die  for  sartin  ! "  A  jolly-looking,  fat, 
middle-aged  black  woman  stood  on  the  threshold. 
She  wore  a  checked  apron,  and  a  clean  fancy  hand- 
kerchief ornamented  her  head  ;  this  is  all  I  remem- 
ber of  her  dress.  She  was  in  the  next  room,  heard 
the  crash,  and  rushed  to  the  scene  of  the  disaster. 

After  getting  me  back  to  the  bed,  she  sat  down, 
at  my  request,  to  gave  me  a  history  of  myself.  She 
spoke  English  tolerably  well,  and  I  think  came  from 
New  Orleans.  She  said  :  "  I  was  brought  there  by 
a  good  Massa  Captain,  who  had  one  of  his   men 


!    H  :';: 


8:  i 


CON  VALES  CENT. 


195 


sick  in  an  adjoining  room  ;  tliat  he  liad  been  to  see 
me  every  day  for  tiie  last  week ;  that  he  had  brought 
old  Massa  Dr.  Osgood  to  see  me,  —  the  best  doctor 
in  Havana,  —  and  had  provided  everything  for 
massa's  comfort."  I  w^as  doing  nicely,  but  instead 
of  chicken  meat,  I  was  only  to  have  "  a  spoonful 
of  broff."  Then,  again,  raising  her  hands,  she  ex- 
claimed, "  Oh,  Lordy,  Lordy,  massa  die  for  sartin  !  " 
But  massa  didn't  die.  In  a  few  days  he  was  able 
to  sit  up,  and  the  next  thought  was,  Who  could  this 
good  Massa  Captain  be?  I  supposed  that  my  own 
Captain  had  something  to  do  with  my  being  in  such 
good  quarters ;  but  the  chicken-broth  was  against 
that  stipposition.  Lobscouse,  with  a  horn  spoon  in 
it,  would  have  been  his  prescription.  The  problem, 
however,  was  soon  solved,  by  the  entrance  of  the 
good  Massa  Captain  himself;  and,  as  the  reader 
has  doubtless  been  expecting,  it  was  "  Hawser  Mar- 
tingale." He  it  was  who  took  care  of  me,  when 
deserted  by  the  one  who  should  have  cared  for  me. 
He  it  was  who  then  sat  by  my  bedside,  whispering 
words  of  kindness,  hope,  and  encouragement. 
Never  for  a  day  did  he  discontinue  his  visits,  till  I 
was  nearly  restored  to  health  and  returned  to  duty. 
I  was  a  !=>ranger  to  him,  but  that  mattered  not.  I 
believe  that,  under  God,  to  him  I  owe  my  escape 
from  "  Yellow  Jack."  "  May  the  blessing  of  him 
that  was  reac'y  to  perish  be  upon  him  !  " 

Thou  prince  of  shipmasters,  gentle  and  good 
"  Martingale  !  "  When  you  left  the  quarter-deck,  tlie 
merchant  service  parted  with  one  of  its  best  com- 
manders, and  poor  Jack  with  the  fatherly  care  of 


m 

\  .Bid 


■ 

■ 

>^  Iffl 

fin 

!■ 

aJl'n 

•        11 

Ji 

■•a 

« 

J  »Bil 


% 


iij» 


Mill 


196 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


one  who  treated  him  as  a  man  should  be  treated,  — 
kindly  and  justly.  May  you,  when  life's  voyage  is 
ended,  and  the  old  "  Hawser  "  parts  its  last  strand, 
find  good  moorings,  in  a  port  of  peace,  where,  un- 
disturbed by  sickness,  sorrow,  or  the  storms  of 
ocean,  one  unclouded  sky  shall  encircle  all ! 

After  waiting  a  few  weeks  for  freight,  we  com- 
menced loading  with  sugar,  and,  much  to  my  joy, 
for  the  port  of  Boston,  instead  of  Europe.  A  new 
crew  was  shipped  for  the  passage  home  ;  the  treat- 
ment on  the  homeward  was  but  a  repetition  of  that 
on  the  outward  passage.  We  arrived  on  a  winter's 
coast,  but  got  safely  into  port  without  accident.  I 
remained  by  the  vessel  until  after  the  cargo  was  dis- 
charged and  the  Capt  in  dismissed.  In  all  prob- 
ability I  should  have  gone  in  her  again,  had  I  not 
received  a  louder  call  from  my  former  employers, 
to  take  charge  of  the  Mermaid^  which  was  vay  first 
command. 


IN  COMMAND. 


197 


\ 


IN   COMMAND. 


•;!' 


CHAPTER    XVII. 


I  M 

M 

I- 


vx 


IN  March,  1831,  I  took  command  of  the  Mer* 
maid^  not  the  Fejeean,  but  a  beautiful  brig 
of  the  above  name,  belonging  to  Robert  Edes  & 
Brother,  of  Boston,  bound  for  Smyrna  and  else-, 
where.  She  was  considered  an  unusually  fine  ves- 
sel of  her  class,  being  half  clipper,  and  altogether 
a  model  of  beauty  in  hull,  sparring  and  rig;  she 
attracted  much  attention  then,  and  would  be  quite 
noticeable  now,  lying  at  India  Wharf,  newly  cop- 
pered, and  fresh  from  the  painter's  hands,  with 
all  her  yards  aloft,  and  everything  about  her  just  as 
it  shoi.ld  be.  Admiring  sailors,  old  and  young, 
daily  swarme_d  around  her  while  loading,  to  get  a 
chance  to  go  in  her,  so  that  I  had  no  difficulty  in 
selecting  a  choice  crew  of  Americans,  all  of  them 
young  men,  who  did  not  intend  to  be  before  the 
mast  any  longer  than  was  necessary  to  fit  them  for 
officers.  We  took  out,  as  passenger,  a  gentleman 
with  whom  I  had  previously  made  a  voyage  to 
Smyrna,  whither  he  was  now  returning  to  establish 
the  commercial  house  of  Clarke  &  Co.,  accom- 
panied by  his  lady,  three  daughters,  and  son. 
After  a  quick  and  pleasant  passage  we  arrived  at 


''■% 


% 


!' 


1'  '. 

(111 
i\ 

'  'If 


198 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


Syra,  an  island  of  the  Greek  Archipelagos,  and  in 
a  few  days  after  at  Smyrna. 

The  cargo  was  landed,  and  while  we  waited  for  a 
return  one  the  plague  broke  out,  and  raged  so  vio- 
lently in  the  city  as  to  cause  a  perfect  stagnation  in 
business.  The  bazaars  were  all  closed,  the  mer- 
chants retired  to  their  country  residences,  or  shut 
themselves  up  in  their  city  houses,  the  streets  were 
deserted,  and  the  crews  of  the  ships  remained  on 
board.  Most  of  the  vessels  left  to  look  for  business 
elsewhere,  and  I  was  very  desirous  of  getting  away 
from  the  "  plague-stricken  city."  The  only  way  I 
could  communicate  with  my  merchant  was  by  let- 
ters ;  being  passed  through  a  pigeon-hole  in  the 
door,  they  were  taken  in  a  pair  of  tongs  and  fu- 
migated over  a  charcoal  fire,  before  being  opened. 
The  answers  were  received  in  the  same  way.  After 
much  discussion  of  the  matter,  it  ws  decided  that 
I  should  go  on  a  wool-gathering  expedition  to  the 
coast  of  Barbary.  jMi  this  time  the  low  grades  of 
wool  were  in  greater  request  at  home  than  the  higlier 
qualities,  as  those  invoicing  not  over  eight  cents,  at 
the  place  of  shipment,  were  free  of  duty.  Consid- 
erable quantities  of  the  article  were  brought  to 
Smyrna,  in  small  Austrian  and  Greek  vessels ;  but 
few  knew  the  ports  from  w^hich  it  was  obtained  ; 
we  only  knew  that  it  came  from  the  Barbary  coast. 
Therefore,  in  the  hope  of  doing  something  while 
the  plague  season  was  passing,  I  was  despatched 
with  5,000  silver  dollars,  and  instructions  to  hunt 
for  wool  where  I  thought  best.  Andreco  (a  Greek), 
the  interpreter  of  the  house,  to  which  I  was  con- 


in 


2SS 


AT  BENGAZI, 


199 


signed,  who  understood  all  the  languages  used 
in  the  Mediterranean,  was  ordered  to  hire  an  Ar- 
menian wool-sorter,  who  was  a  judge  of  the  article, 
and  with  him  to  report  on  board  the  brig.  Having 
gained  all  the  information  which  Andreco  could 
get  from  the  boatmen  regarding  the  South  coast, 
we  departed  from  Smyrna  on  our  cruise.  Owing 
to  light  winds,  we  were  six  days  in  getting  past  Can- 
dia,  four  days  after  which  we  made  Cape  Razat,  on 
the  Barbary  coast,  the  land  moderately  high  and 
barren.  On  the  chart,  the  port  of  Bengazi  was 
laid  down  about  sixty  miles  to  the  westward  of 
this  point,  without  any  intervening  harbor.  Keep- 
ing along  parallel  with  the  coast,  at  a  mile  distant, 
we  ran  with  a  fair  wind,  about  fifty  miles  to  the 
westward.  I  found  the  land  now  gradually  sloped 
away  to  a  low,  sandy  desert.  Thus  far  no  sign  of 
a  human  being  was  seen,  nor  the  least  vegetation  ; 
not  a  rock,  tree,  or  shrub,  hill  or  valley,  could  be 
discovered  to  relieve  the  sight. 

The  chart  of  the  coast  being  incorrect,  I  was 
obliged  to  keep  nearer  the  land  than  was  agreeable, 
for  fear  of  runnir.g  by  the  port.  At  dark,  judging 
myself  seventy-five  miles  from  Cape  Razat,  and  see- 
ing no  signs  of  a  place,  I  hauled  off  for  the  night. 
At  daylight  next  morning,  closing  in  with  the  land 
again,  I  continued  the  exploration.  About  2  P.  M., 
we  discovered  a  large,  white  object  ahead,  which, 
on  our  nearer  approach,  we  made  out  to  be  the 
castle  on  a  low  point,  at  the  entrance  of  Bengazi 
Harbor ;  soon  the  red  flag  with  the  crescent  was 
displayed  from  the  walls,  and  responded  to  by  the 


I 


I 


••-if 

1  ■    "J 

1;     -M 

li! 


'  1*1  !:'|;i 


•ill 


200 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


Stars  and  Stripes  ;  shortly  after  a  number  of  small 
craft  at  anchor  opened  out  from  behind  a  ridge  of 
sand.  Backing  the  main  topsail  when  abreast  the 
port,  we  fired  a  gun  to  bring  off  a  pilot.  The 
shore  was  thronged  with  a  multitude  of  objects, 
bearing  a  near  resemblance  to  human  beings,  gaz- 
ing at  us  with  apparent  astonishment.  We  waited 
for  about  an  hour,  during  which  time  a  number  of 
boats  put  off  from  the  shore,  and  pulled  towards  us 
a  short  distance,  then  lay  on  their  oars,  or  returned 
to  the  shore.  I  thought  they  did  not  intend  to 
come  off,  and  was  preparing  to  lower  a  boat,  and  to 
sound  out  the  entrance,  as  many  shoal  spots  were  vis- 
ible from  the  masthead,  when  I  noticed  a  boat  leave 
a  small  Greek  vessel,  and  pull  fast  towards  us. 
She  came  alongside,  and  proved  to  be  the  harbor- 
master's boat.  Andreco  was  soon  in  communica- 
tion with  the  high  officials,  one  of  whom  was 
"  Veli  Khalet  Moutkai,"  port  captain,  pilot,  and 
superintendent  of  marine.  The  individual  bearing 
all  these  titles  was  dressed,  I  presume,  in  full  uni- 
form, consisting  of  a  dirty  strip  of  cotton  cloth 
about  his  loins,  and  a  green  turban  on  his  head. 
Another  character  who  had  on  some  clothes  was 
*'  Senor  Tliomazi  Beglier/*  Directeur  de  Medicin 
for  his  Serene  Highness  the  Bashaw  of  Tripoli. 
It  seems  the  people  here  had  never  seen  the  Stars 
and  Stripes,  and  the  appearance  of  (to  them)  a 
large  vessel  with  an  unknown  flag,  occasioned 
much  consternation  and  conjecture  to  the  Bey  of 
Bengazi. 

An  English  Vice-Consul  was  established  here, 


ENTERING  PORT. 


20 1 


but  was  absent.  In  this  dilemma  they  sent  a  cour- 
ier after  the  Consul,  and  determined  not  to  allow 
the  brig  to  enter  the  port  without  first  knowing 
who  she  was,  and  what  she  wanted.  Fortunately 
for  us,  the  Greek  skipper  of  a  small  bombard  bailed 
the  Port  Captain,  telling  him  that  he  was  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  flag,  and  the  nation  to  which  it 
belonged ;  therefore  the  noble  "  Veli  Khalet  & 
Co."  repaired  on  board  the  bombard  for  informa- 
tion. The  Greek  told  him  that  the  Americans 
were  a  great  nation,  and  traded  largely  with  the 
Levant ;  that  probably  this  vessel  had  come  here 
to  purchase  a  cargo  of  bullocks  and  wool.  Veli 
could  not  believe  this  for  some  time  ;  it  was  impossi- 
ble that  so  large  a  vessel  could  have  dollars  sufficient 
onboard  to  purchase  such  a  cargo  with,  —  bullocks 
were  two  dollars  a  head,  and  sheep  seventy-five 
cents.  The  Greek  assured  him  that  American  ships 
sometimes  carried  dollars  for  ballast.  Veli  took  an- 
other look  at  the  brig,  and  offered  to  go  to  her  if  the 
Captain  would  accompany  him  ;  and  oft' they  came, 
rowed  by  six  naked  Arabs,  in  uniform  also,  having  a 
strip  of  blue  cotton  tied  round  the  waist  of  each. 
Through  Andreco,  I  told  him  our  object  was  to  trade 
with  them,  and  asked  him  to  pilot  us  into  anchorage. 
He  demanded  to  know  what  water  the  vessel  drew. 
I  told  him  one  foot  more  than  she  actually  did 
draw.  He  said  "  there  was  not  water  enousfh  to 
admit  her,  and  he  could  not  take  her  in  uiitil  next 
day."  I  assured  him  that  the  vessel  should  go  in 
that  night.  Upon  this,  he  got  half  way  up  the 
fore  rigging,  and  sung  out  "  Boodji"  (bear  away). 


11 


m 


'1 


Ih 


11 


,!' 


\  <  i<\ 


'K 


N. 


202 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


m 


We  filled  away  and  steered  for  the  port  with  the  pilot 
in  the  rigging,  his  cotton  garment  blowing  over  his 
shoulders,  leaving  the  most  of  his  body  bare,  vocifer- 
ating with  rapidity,  "  Oorsa,"  or  "  Boodji,"  as  the 
occasion  required.  The  passnge  was  narrow,  but 
well  marked  outj  as  the  clear  water  on  a  white, 
sandy  bottom,  plainly  told  us  to  avoid  the  black 
spots  on  either  side.  We  anchored  and  moored 
ship  in  eight  feet  of  water,  the  pilot  priding  himself 
on  such  a  display  of  his  nautical  ability. 

Next  morning  I  went  on  shore  with  my  inter- 
preter, and  was  met  on  the  beach  by  "  Thomazi," 
the  doctor,  and  an  Italian  who  held  the  office  of 
Consul  for  the  Austrian,  French,  and  Sardinian 
governments ;  he  proved  to  be  a  very  clever  fellow, 
and  was  of  much  service  to  us  while  here.  They 
demanded  my  papers  in  the  name  of  "  Mahmoud 
ZusseeflV  Bey  of  Bengazi.  My  ship's  papers  I  told 
them  I  could  not  part  with,  but  I  gave  them  my  bill 
of  health,  and  that  was  a  foul  one  ;  but,  as  it  was 
in  English,  I  thought  it  would  not  enlighten  them 
much.  I  was  ordered  to  perform  eighteen  days 
quarantine  if  I  remained  here,  and  until  the  expira- 
tion of  it  none  of  us  must  go  over  ten  yards  from 
the  boat.  I  ascertained  that  much  wool  was  to  be 
had  here,  and  concluded  to  remain  and  comply  with 
the  port  regulations,  hoping,  also,  to  shorten  our 
quarantine  by  greasing  the  doctor's  hands.  I  found 
here  about  a  dozen  small  craft,  — Greek,  Austrian, 
Turks  and  Maltese.  The  Malta  vessels  came  here 
for  bullocks  and  sheep  for  the  supply  of  the  island. 
The  Austrians   bring  coarse   cottons   and   French 


OPENING   TRADE. 


203 


goods  of  various  kinds,  which  they  barter  for  wool, 
hides,  etc.  The  Turks  trade  between  Tripoli,  Can- 
dia,  and  this  place,  in  various  commodities.  The 
Greeks  were  purchasing  wool  and  butter,  which 
they  carry  to  Smyrna,  finding  there  a  ready  and 
profitable  market ;  some  of  them  bring  cargoes  of 
wheat  and  beans  from  the  islands,  to  barter  with 
the  Arabs. 

We  marked  out  our  limits  on  the  beach,  where  we 
pitched  a  tent  for  business  head-quarters,  to  which 
Andreco  was  instructed  to  summon  all  the  wool- 
dealers  at  or  about  Bengazi  to  come,  if  they  had 
wool  to  sell.  In  two  or  three  days  we  had  as  much 
as  we  could  attend  to.  The  price  of  wool,  at  first, 
was  one  Austrian  dollar  for  sixteen  fleeces.  The 
fleece  of  each  sheep  is  rolled  up  separate,  and  sold 
for  so  much  per  fleece,  without  regard  to  weight  or 
quality.  The  average  weight  is  about  six  pounds, 
making  the  cost  just  one  cent  per  pound,  —  the  Aus- 
trian dollar  being  ninety-five  cents.  The  wool  is 
very  dirty,  giving  a  net  of  clean,  when  washed  and 
picked,  of  less  than  fifty  per  cent.  This  would  an- 
swer very  well,  and  we  purchased  all  that  was 
ofiered.  The  price  soon  advanced,  as  we  had  com- 
petitors among  the  small  craft,  but  their  funds  were 
soon  gone.  In  a  week  I  had  secured  half  a  cargo 
at  very  satisfactory  prices,  and  the  town  supply  was 
exhausted.  We  had  now  to  watch  for  the  caravans 
coming  across  the  desert ;  we  learned  that  the  Arabs 
kept  their  wool  back,  not  bringing  it  in  until  they 
heard  of  vei;sels  being  at  the  port  wanting  to  pur- 
chase.    I  had  hoped  to  be  allowed   liberty  to  go 


t-<*j 


81  I 


204 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


with  Andreco  across  the  desert  and  make  pur- 
chases ;  but  Mr.  Warrington,  the  British  Consul, 
was  summoned  before  the  Bey  to  transhite  my  bill 
of  health,  which  informed  him  that  the  plague  was 
raging  at  Smyrna  on  the  departure  of  the  Alennaid^ 
and  I  had  my  quarantine  extended  in  consequence. 
I  protested,  as  there  was  no  sickness  on  board,  we 
had  been  at  sea  eleven  days,  and  were  quarantined 
for  three  weeks  before  leaving  our  last  port.  But  it 
availed  nothing ;  I  must  submit.  I  was,  however, 
offered  my  choice  of  any  spot  on  the  beach,  and  as 
large  a  space  as  my  business  might  require  ;  there- 
fore we  selected  a  point  which  all  the  caravans 
must  pass  in  arriving,  with  the  promise  that  no  one 
should  locate  outside  of  us.  Two  guurdianos  were 
appointed  to  watch,  and  keep  us  from  contact  with 
the  inhabitants. 


iV.! 


A   TANKEE   VISITOR. 


205 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

A   YANKEE   VISITOR. 

JULY  3d  I  had  an  interview  with  Mr.  Warring- 
ton, who  sent  word  that  he  would  call  upon  me. 
Previous  to  his  coming  his  servants  put  up  a  small 
tent  just  without  my  enclosure,  bringing  with  them 
sundry  baskets,  and  planting  a  staff  in  the  sand, 
with  a  small  English  flag  on  it.  The  Consul  soon 
made  his  appearance.  A  chair  was  placed  on  each 
side  of  the  line  for  us,  and  we  were  soon  well  ac- 
quainted. A  large  waiter  was  placed  between  us 
by  his  servants,  and  each  helped  himself  to  what 
was  before  him,  —  cold  roast  chicken,  bread,  olives, 
dates,  figs,  coffee  and  sherbet ;  after  which  wine 
and  cigars  concluded  the  collation.  I  had  read  in 
the  Scriptures  that  "  our  fathers  did  eat  manna  in 
the  desert,"  and  this  reminded  me  of  it.  Mr.  War- 
rington is  the  son  of  the  Consul-General  at  Tripoli ; 
his  principal  business  here  is  to  forward  supplies 
of  sheep  and  bullocks  to  Malta,  for  the  use  of  the 
garrison  there.  I  was  the  first  person  he  had  seen 
for  six  months  with  whom  he  could  converse  in  his 
native  tongue  ;  he  was  glad  to  see  me,  and  promised 
any  assistance  he  could  render  ;  and  said  that  he  had 
much  influence  with  the  Bey.  Mr.  Warrington  had 
been  here  about  a  year,  held  a  commission  in  the 


1  i 

!    1 

m 

ii 


■t^i\ 


m 


2o6 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


navy,  and  appeared  very  genial.     I  was  indebted  to 
him  for  many  acts  of  kindness. 

The  same  afternoon  the  dragoman  of  the  Bey 
came  off  in  a  boat  with  Mr.  Warrington,  and  bade 
us  welcome  to  the  port  of  Bengazi.  Mr.  Warring- 
ton had  called  upon  His  Highness,  and  enlightened 
him  upon  the  history  of  America,  the  result  of 
which  was  the  despatch  now  received.  I  was  as- 
sured of  being  placed  on  the  same  footing  as  the 
most  favored,  and  any  assistance  I  should  need  he 
would.be  happy  to  render. 

July  4th  the  Mermaid  was  dressed  in  bunting, 
and  a  salute  of  thirteen  guns  fired  at  noon  in  honor 
of  the  day.  Muhmoud  thought  the  salute  was  in- 
tended to  compliment  him  in  return  for  the  gracious 
offers  made  me  the  day  previous ;  and  again  the 
dragoman  made  his  appearance  with  the  thanks  of 
His  Highness  for  the  honor  shown  him,  expressing 
his  high  opinion  of  the  Americans,  and  apologizing 
for  not  being  able  to  return  the  salute,  as  his  guns 
were  so  heavy  that  the  concussion  might  shake  the 
walls  of  the  castle  down.  He  sent  me,  as  a  present, 
a  pair  of  beautiful  gazelles ;  and,  as  a  further  mark 
of  his  favor,  an  officer  of  his  household  to  act  as  my 
guardiano,  who  was  sebcted  for  his  great  knowl- 
edge of  the  English  language. 

I  did  not  undeceive  His  Highness  as  to  the  nature 
of  the  salute,  and  replied  that  I  should  be  sorry  to 
see  the  venerable  walls  tumble  down  on  my  ac- 
count. I  thanked  him  for  his  presents,  including 
the  officer,  and  then,  turning  to  the  distinguished 
official,  I  made  some  remarks,  closing  by  asking 


A   GREAT  LINGUIST, 


207 


him  his  name  and  title.  "  I  see,"  was  the  reply.  I 
repeated  the  question,  and  added,  "  Do  you  speak 
English?"  Again  it  was,  "  I  see,"  which  assertion 
I  was  slow  to  believe,  inasmuch  as  he  had  only  one 
eye,  and  that  was  encircled  by  flies.  But  "I  see"  was 
the  whole  extent  of  his  English,  and  these  words  he 
always  used  in  replying  when  spoken  to,  and,  indeed, 
on  all  occasions.  I  turned  him  over  to  Andreco,  to 
sec  what  he  could  make  of  him.  "The  beast.' 
said  Andreco,  after  questioning  him  in  five  or  s'x 
tongues,  receiving  for  answer  to  all,  "I  see  :  "  "  he 
knows  nothing  but  Arab,  but  he  looks  iike  old 
Hadgi  T^>cy,  the  Chief-  of  Police  in  Smyrna."  He 
was  called  by  that  name  thenceforth,  and  whenever 
the  name  was  called,  he  responded  with  '*  I  see." 

I  had  been  here  but  little  over  a  week,  when  I  was 
much  surprised  and  pleased  by  the  arrival  of  a  Greek 
schooner,  which  ancliored  near  by,  with  the  stars 
and  stripes*at  the  fore.  "  What  schooner  is  that?" 
I  asked,  and  the  answer  came  in  a  well-known 
voice,  "  The  Admiral  Miaulis^  Captain  Yarni, 
Larkin  supercargo  ;  come  to  bring  you  more  funds, 
old  fellow;  how  are  you,  and  how  is  wool?"  It 
seems  that  shortly  after  I  left  Smyrna,  my  merchant 
there  obtained  information  concerning  Bengazi, 
which  led  him  to  the  conclusion  that  I  was  there, 
and  doing  well,  but  would  probably  get  short  of 
fmids  ;  therefore  he  despatched  tlie  schooner  with 
Mr.  Larkin,  the  bool  keeper  of  the  house,  with 
funds  sufficient  to  load  both  vessels.  Mr.  Larkin 
was  just  the  man  needed,  —  "  the  right  man  in  the 
right  place";  for,  notwithstanding  he  was  always 


tiiw; 


\m 


•'ji: 


;  • :  Hp[ 

III 

m 


vm 


!■;'■■ 


208 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


if 


I    .1'.  ! 


if 


Larking^  he  had  a  clear  h.ead,  and  a  ready  hand 
for  business.  I  was  soon  alongside  with  my  boat 
and  my  constant  attendant,  "  Hadgi  Bey/'  —  but 
must  not  come  in  contact;  my  letters  were  fumi- 
gated before  reading.  I  got  all  the  news,  and  was 
pulling  away,  when  Larkin  shouted  out,  *'  For 
God's  sake,  P.,  take  me  with  you  ;  I  can't  stand 
it  here ;  I  am  most  starved,  and  half  eaten  up  by 
fleas."  "  I  can't  take  you,  my  friend,"  I  replied  ; 
"  I  should  be  glad  to  do  so,  but  the  guard  will  not 
permit  it.  I'll  introduce  you  to  him  ;  he  is  a  high 
officer,  and  speaks  English.  'Hadgi  Bey' — Mr. 
Larkin."  Captain  Yarni  and  Mr.  Larkin  plead 
with  Hadgi  quite  strongly,  and  awaited  his  answer. 
*'  I  see,"  said  Hadgi ;  but  he  did  not  see  it,  and  we 
left  poor  Larkin  to  the  tender  mercies  of  Captain 
Yarni  and  his  fleas. 

In  a  few  days  we  arranged  our  business,  so  that 
every  caravan  arriving  came  directly  to  our  depot ; 
but  now  stocks  were  rising,  and  we  had  to  pay 
much  higher  prices  than  at  first.  Caravans  return- 
ing across  the  desert  met  those  coming  to  the  coast ; 
naturally  inquiring  the  news,  they  were  told  that 
*'  a  great  ship  with  a  gold  bottom  (referring  to  our 
bright  copper  bottom),  and  full  of  dollars,  is  at  the 
port,  and  will  buy  all  the  wool  vse  will  carry  there." 
Still  we  bought,  and  all  were  satisfied  in  regard  to 
the  business  ;  but  poor  Larkin  was  awfully  wrought 
up  at  being  so  long  a  messmate  with  Captain  Yarni, 
and  so  long  a  bedfellow  with  Greek  fleas ;  with  a 
prospect  of  thirty  or  forty  days  more  of  such  en- 
joyment, he  got  outrageous. 


A    WET   WAT  TO  DINNER. 


209 


"  You  can  get  me  out  of  this  miserable,  filthy 
vessel,  if  you  try.  T  know  you  can  ;  my  blood  will 
be  upon  your  head  if  I  remain  here  another  week. 
Look  at  my  face,  punctured  all  over  like  the  top  of 
a  pepper-box,  and  bleeding  at  every  pore  ;  see  my 
emaciated  form,  wasting  away  upon  a  diet  of  beans 
and  rotten  olives.  There  will  be  murder  or  suicide 
soon." 

I  promised  to  do  all  I  could  for  his  relief,  and  the 
irrepressible  itadgi  added  "  I  see."  By  the  use  of 
strong  appeals  to  Doctor  Thomazi,  in  the  shape  of 
sundry  bottles  of  a  fluid  forbidden  to  Moslem  lips, 
and  through  the  efforts  of  our  friend  the  Consul, 
who  used  "  a  mighty  deal  of  very  delicate  diplo- 
macy "  with  the  Bey,  permission  was  given  that 
Mr.  Larkin  might  be  transferred  to  my  vessel  after 
going  through  the  cleansing  process.  Accordingly, 
on  Sunday  morning  I  went  alongside  of  the  Greek 
with  Hadgi,  who  was  to  superiiitend  the  fumigating 
and  purifying  of  the  individual.  I  informed  my 
friend  that  the  prospect  of  his  release  was  better, 
and  the  next  da}'  he  would  probably  be  able  to  join 
us  at  dinner,  adding  that  I  had  ordered  an  excellent 
one  to-day,  hoping  for  his  compan}^,  recapitulating 
some  of  the  delicacies  which  awaited  him.  *'  Let 
me  come  now,  for  heaven's  sake ;  I'll  jump  over- 
board if  you  will  take  mc  in."  "  But  you  are  yet 
considered  an  infected  person,"  I  replied ;  "  how- 
ever, upon  further  consideration,  and  with  the  con- 
sent of  the  guardiano,  if  you  will  jump  overboard 
with  all  your  clothes  on,  we  will  accept  the  act  for 
complete  disinfection,  and  receive  you."  No  sooner 
14 


/I 


m 


' 


2IO 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


Ill 


I  *.  j 


said  than  he  pulled  out  his.watch.  "  Hold  that  for 
me,  Captain  Yarni,  and  here  she  goes."  Suiting 
the  action  to  the  word,  he  sprang  over  the  rail,  and 
struck  out  for  the  boat.  Hadgi  thought  the  sub- 
mersion  was  not  sufficient,  and,  on  reaching  out  to 
help  him,  gently  forced  his  head  under.  He  had 
probably  heard  of  the  manner  by  which  a  fox  rids 
himself  of  fleas,  by  backing  into  the  water  slowly, 
stern  first,  and  letting  the  water  drive  the  vermin 
towards  his  bows,  and  finally,  wheh  they  are  all 
gathered  on  the  end  of  his  nose,  suddenly  ducking 
that  under,  leaving  his  passengers  afloat ;  —  and  our 
careful  health  officer,  perhaps  fearing  there  might 
be  a  solitary  flea  left,  again  repeated  complete  im- 
mersion, much  to  the  disgust  and  indignation  of 
the  bather. 

While  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  good  things  of  the 
table  that  afternoon,  and  while  I  was  endeavoring 
to  soothe  the  wounded  spirit  of  my  friend,  I  sent  for 
the  one-eyed  Arab  to  take  a  glass  of  wine  with  us, 
which  he  was  not  averse  to  doing  (giving  the  for- 
bidden article  another  name).  As  he  entered  the 
cabin  with  his  usual  salutation  of  "  I  see,"  a  part 
of  a  water-meion  from  Mr.  Larkin's  hand  struck 
him  full  on  his  only  eye,  and  for  a  few  minutes,  at 
least,  his  favorite  English  sentence  would  have 
been  inappropriate. 

The  gentleman  above  mentioned  will,  perhaps, 
read  these  lines  sitting  in  his  arm-chair  in  State 
Street ;  and  I  trust  that,  while  admitting  their 
truthfulness,  he  will  pardon  the  liberty  taken  with 
his  name.     We  were  then  young,  but  are  now  old ; 


, 


p 


1 

, 

■II 

hi 

iMuU 

A  BRITISH  FLEET. 


211 


yet  never  has  our  friendship,  then  so  pleasantly 
formed,  suffered  any  decay.  *'  May  his  shadow 
never  be  less  "  I 

Much  more  could  be  said  of  adventures  at  Ben- 
gazi,  and  of  further  mishaps  which  befell  my  friend 
Mr.  Larkin,  while  there,  but  it  would  spin  out  a 
yarn  that  might  be  tedious ;  therefore  I  will  close 
by  saying  that  the  Mermaid  soon  sailed  thence  with 
a  full  cargo,  leaving  Mr.  Larkin  and  Andreco  be- 
hind to  load  the  schooner  and  follow  me  to  Smyrna, 
all  of  which  was  accomplished  in  good  season.  On 
returning  to  the  above  port,  the  pestilence  was  past, 
and  business  had  revived ;  our  Bengazi  cargoes 
were  landed,  the  wool  washed,  picked,  and  assorted, 
neatly  baled,  and  reshipped  for  Boston,  resulting  in 
a  very  profitable  operation  for  the  owners,  and  grat- 
ifying to  myself,  this  being  my  first  command.  I 
hailed  it  as  being  ominous  of  future  success. 

On  my  passage  down  the  Mediterranean  I  fell  in 
with  a  British  squadron  off'  Sicily,  bound  down  to 
ascertain  the  situation  of  a  volcanic  island  which 
was  thrown  up  from  the  sea  about  ten  days  previ- 
ous, in  the  neighborhood  of  Maretimo  and  Pantel- 
laria.  In  beating  down  with  a  westerly  wind  I  was 
rather  near  the  Admiral's  ship  about  sundown,  when 
the  breeze  entirely  left  us  ;  being  on  different  tacks, 
we  were  becalmed  within  easy  hail  of  the  St.  Vin- 
cent^ Sir  Henry  HoUand's  fiag-ship.  Qiiite  a  group 
of  officers  was  collected  on  the  poop-deck  of  that 
vessel,  and  a  number  of  ladies  in  the  stern  and 
quarter  galleries,  surveying  wMth  apparent  pleasure 
the  saucy-looking  little  Yankee  who  ventured  so 


i 

1 

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i 


!'i 


f 


,' '  '■ 


#;    i 


212 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


near  the  majestic  wooden  walls  of  England.  An 
officer  hailed  us,  asking  many  questions,  requesting 
to  know  the  dimensions  of  the  Mermaid^  where 
built,  etc.,  evidently  pleased  with  her  appearance. 
In  comparison  we  were  the  gazelle  alongside  an 
elephant.  Before  dark  a  couple  of  boats  were  sent 
with  a  request  to  throw  them  a  tow-rope ;  we  were 
from  Smyrna,  and  with  a  cargo  to  be  avoided  in 
plague  time  ;  they  looked  upon  ours  as  an  infected 
vessel,  and  wanted  us  out  of  the  way.  "  Don't 
throw  your  rope  into  the  boat,  but  into  the  water," 
said  the  officer ;  this  indicated  what  they  thought 
of  us.  We  were  towed  about  five  miles  on  our 
course,  and  cast  off.  A  fresh  breeze  sprang  up  in 
the  night  from  the  west,  and  stretching  to\vards  the 
Barbary  shore,  at  about  lo  a.m.  we  made  the  volcano 
right  ahead.  The  fleet  at  this  time  were  five  or  six 
miles  to  leeward  ;  here  was  a  chance  to  take  posses- 
sion, and  get  ahead  of  Johnny  Bull.  I  intended  to 
approach  to  windward,  and,  if  a  landing  was  pos- 
sible, to  plant  a  Yankee  flag  on  the  island  and  leave 
it,  but  was  headed  off,  when  it  was  about  three  miles 
distant,  by  a  strong  easterly  wind  which  came  rat- 
tling down  the  Mediterranean,  and  we  squared 
away  on  our  course.  At  this  time  the  volcano  bore 
south  by  east  from  the  vessel,  the  island  of  Mare- 
timo  north-half-west  per  compass,  no  other  land 
being  in  sight.  The  volcano  was  still  active,  fre- 
quent eruptions  of  dark  smoke  issuing  from  the  sea  ; 
at  one  time  it  cleared  away,  exhibiting  two  distinct 
islands.  The  British  fleet  took  possession  by  land- 
ing and  planting  Saint  George's  cross  on  the  island 


PERISHABLE  PRO  PERT  Y. 


213 


the  same  day  I  bore  away  from  it.  The  Austrian 
government  claimed  it,  as  a  vessel  of  that  nation 
was  nearest  to  it  when  it  was  thrown  up  ;  and  the 
Sardinians  also,  by  right  of  jurisdiction  in  those 
waters.  The  quarrel  among  them  was  assuming  a 
serious  aspect,  when  the  question  was  settled  by 
the  island's  disappearing  without  the  leave  or  license 
of  either  party.  About  a  year  after  this  I  passed 
with  a  vessel  directly  over  the  spot,  finding  there  a 
shoal  with  five  fathoms  of  water  on  it. 

I  continued  in  the  Levant  trade,  making  several 
voyages  in  the  same  employ,  visiting  for  trade  many 
of  the  Greek  islands,  and  for  pleasure  many  sites  of 
old  cities  of  Asia  Minor,  all  of  which  have  been  so 
well  described  by  various  travellers,  that  I  omit  any 
description  of  them. 


■A 


■  i 


V 


If. 


i  H 


.1  J 


214 


i^t?i?^  AND  AFT, 


CHAPTER 


XIX. 

4 


A  SHIPWRECK. 

SINCE  I  commenced  these  random  sketches  I 
have  had  the  question  asked  by  friends,  "Have 
you  no  sliipwreck  to  tell  of?  There  ought  to  be 
one,  for  variety's  sake."  I  reply,  yes,  not  for  the 
sake  of  variety,  but  a  tale  truly  sad  and  sadly  true. 

In  the  Regulator  I  sailed  from  Boston  for  Malta 
and  Egypt,  in  September,  1835.  Leaving  a  part 
of  the  cargo  at  the  former  place,  I  proceeded  to 
Alexandria,  having  a  young  gentleman  as  super- 
cargo and  part  owner  on  board.  We  had  letters  to 
M.  Rossetti,  Tuscan  Consul-General  for  Egypt,  and 
also  a  merchant ;  he  was  known  to  have  much  in- 
fluence with  Mehemet  Ali,  and  his  Prime  Minister, 
Bhogas  Bey.  Rossetti's  father  held  the  same  oflice 
previously,  and  was  in  like  favor.  On  our  arrival 
M.  Rossetti  accepted  the  consignment,  and  found  a 
ready  purchaser  of  the  cargo  in  the  Minister,  who 
was  the  great  business  manager  of  the  Pasha.  The 
history  of  the  Pasha  and  his  Minister  is  well  known. 
I  will  only  relate  a  few  incidents  which  I  obtained 
from  Rossetti.  Mehemet  Ali  (an  Albanian  Turk), 
when  an  officer  in  the  Turkish  army  in  the  Morea, 
formed  a  friendship  with  Bhogas  Bey,  who  was  then 
a  sutler  in  the  same  service,  —  both  of  them  of  low 
rank  and  origin.     When  Mehemet  was  sent  by  the 


A    PRINCE'S  FAVORITE. 


215 


Sultan  with  the  troops  to  subdue  an  outbreak  in 
Egypt,  his  friend  Bhogas  followed  his  fortunes.  As 
one  rose  in  rank  and  power  so  did  the  other.  Step 
by  step  Mehemct  advanced  to  supreme  command  in 
Egypt,  and  his  friend  became  his  Prime  Minister, 
whose  advice  and  counsel  were  always  listened  to, 
until  one  day,  when  something  had  gone  wrong  with 
the  Pasha,  and  he  ordered  that  the  Minister  should 
be  tied  up  in  a  sack, and  cast  into  the  sea.  But  the 
guard  were  bribed,  and  he  was  conveyed  to  the 
house  of  Rossetti  and  concealed.  The  latter  knew 
the  Pasha  would  soon  regret  his  hasty  action,  and 
wish  his  friend  back.  This  proved  to  be  the  case  ; 
he  was  in  trouble,  and  missed  hio  able  and  faithful 
adviser,  and  wished  he  was  alive  again  to  set  things 
right.  At  a  proper  time  Bhogas  was  produced  and 
reinstated  in  office,  but  the  guard  who  failed  to 
carry  out  the  cruel  order  were  put  to  death.  In 
company  with  our  consignee  we  had  several  inter- 
views with  the  above  officer  in  relation  to  the  busi- 
ness of  the  vessel.  He  was  a  fine-looking  man, 
graceful  in  his  manners,  and  very  polite ;  it  was 
said  of  him  that  he  could  refuse  a  favor  with  more 
grace  than  most  people  show  in  conferring  one. 

We  landed  the  cargo,  and  were  to  receive  five 
hundred  bags  of  salt  for  ballast  within  a  week.  This 
was  to  be  brought  from  the  dried-up  lake  "Mare- 
otis,"  some  miles  distant  from  the  city.  We  were 
to  furnish  bags,  when  required  to  do  so,  and  receive 
them  again  at  the  quay  when  filled.  The  donkey- 
drivers  at  the  landing-places  had  beqn  a  most  intol- 
erable nuisance,  much  more  so  than  the  hackmen 


% 


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FORE  AND  AFT. 


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are  in  New  York.  We  had  daily  been  obliged  to 
fight  our  way  through  their  lines  on  leaving  our 
boat  to  go  up  town.  On  the  morning  when  we 
brought  the  bags  on  shore,  according  to  orders,  the 
fellows  with  their,  animals  crowded  towards  the 
boat,  thinking  there  was  a  good  job  in  prospect. 
Shortly  a  guard  of  soldiers  appeared  in  their  rear, 
cutting  off  retreat.  One  hundred  of  the  poor  fel- 
lows were  pressed  into  the  service  of  the  govern- 
ment, with  their  donkeys,  each  one  taking  two  bags, 
and  were  escorted  to  the  lake,  where  they  filled 
them  and  returned  to  the  boat.  This  operation  was 
repeated  daily  until  the  amount  was  completed. 
For  this  service  we  were  charged  five  cents  for  the 
man  and  beast ;  they  were  allowed  but  three  by  the 
government.  In  a  few  days  the  fellows  knew  our 
boats,  and  on  their  approach  would  scamper  off  in 
a  hurry,  much  to  our  relief.  The  Alexandria  of 
thirty-two  years  ago  was  a  place  of  but  little  busi- 
ness, compared  with  its  present  condition. 

Having  completed  our  business,  we  proceeded  to 
Smyrna  to  finish  loading  for  Boston,  departing 
thence,  and  calling  again  at  Malta.  The  close  of 
the  year  found  us  homeward-bound  to  a  winter's 
coast.  The  first  of  February  we  got  oundings  in 
the  South  Channel,  wind  south,  with  a  warm, 
drenching  rain.  The  passage  across  the  Atlantic 
had  been  pleasant  for  the  season,  and  we  were  now 
within  a  day's  sail  of  our  port,  with  a  fair  wind, 
and  reasonable  prospect  of  a  speedy  termination  of 
a  voyage  which  had  been  remarkably  favorable, 
f     Every  stitch  of  canvas  was  spread  to  the  breeze, 


TROUBLE  AHEAD. 


217 


and   a  heavy  press  carried  on  the  vessel  in  order 
to  get  to  the   northward   of  the  shouls,  and  into 
Boston  Bay,  before  a  change  of  wind  should  occur. 
About  3  p.  M.,  judging  the  vessel  clear  of  shoal 
ground,  we  hauled  north-west  for    the    back    of 
Cape   Cod,  the  studding-sails  were  taken    in  and 
booms  sent  down.     At  about  4  p.  m.,  those  well- 
known  indications  of  a  sudden  change  of  wind  to 
the  north-west  warned  us  that  our  fair  wind  and 
good  prospects  were  soon  to  be  changed  for  a  con- 
trary gale,  and  the  biting  breath  of  winter.     The 
light  sails  were   all  taken  in,  the  topsails  clewed 
down  to  be  reefed,  and  all  possible  despatch  used 
to  get  the  vessel  snug.     Owing  to  the  heavy  rains 
which  had  continued  for  the  twenty-four  hours  pre- 
vious, the  sails  and  rigging  were  so  saturated  with 
water  as  to  retard  the  work  very  much.     The  wind 
now  hauled  suddenly  to  the  north-west,    blowing 
furiously,   and    the  cold  became    intense.     In   ten 
minutes  every  sail  was  frozen  stift'.     The   rigging 
and  spars  were  coated  with  ice,  from  the  mastheads 
to  the  deck.     One  reef  was  secured  in  the  topsails, 
and,  after  ineffectual  attempts  at  a  second  reef,  the 
men  were  ordered  from  the  yards,  half  the  number 
being   badly  frosted.     The  gale   continued  to    in- 
crease, the  vessel  under  a  heavy  press  of  canvas 
driving  to  the  north-east,  shipping  much  water,  the 
ice  fast  accumulating  on  the  decks  and  about  the 
bowsprit.     At  midnight  wore  ship,  and   stood  in 
shore.     At  daylight  made  Chatham  Lights  ahead. 
At  7  A.  M.    wore    ship   again,    about    two    miles 
N.  N.  E.  of  the  lights,  and  headed  off  shore.     The 


1 


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11  lift 


218 


FOIiE  AND  AFT. 


cold  now  became  more  severe,  thermometer  at 
eight  degrees  below  zero  throughout  the  day,  and 
the  ice  continually  increasing  on  the  vessel.  The 
rudder  had  frozen  up ;  the  rigging,  from  its  in- 
creased size,  was  wholly  useless  ;  the  vessel  had  set- 
tled a  foot,  by  the  head,  owing  to  the  weight  of  ice 
about  the  head-stays  and  rigging  of  the  bowsprit. 
All  hands  were  employed  throughout  the  day,  try- 
ing to  clear  the  vessel  of  ice. 

Pebruary  3. — During  the  forenoon  of  this  day 
the  wind  moderated,  hauling  west.  All  hands  at 
work  beating  off  ice,  there  being  nearly  two  feet 
on  deck,  and  the  vessel  unmanageable,  with  two 
streaks  heel  to  starboard.  At  daylight,  succeeded 
in  freeing  the  rudder,  clearing  the  braces,  and  head- 
ing the  ship  to  the  south.  In  the  course  of  the 
night  the  wind  changed  to  eastward.  At  midnight 
got  ihe  topsails  and  foresail  set,  judging  ourselves 
in  the  latitude  of  Cape  Ann,  and  steering  accord- 
ingly- 

February  ^^  10  a.m.  —  The    wind    increasing, 

hauled  to  the  N.  N.  E.,  and  extreme  cold  weather. 
At  noon  made  the  highlands  of  Plymouth.  The 
rudder  was  again  choked  up  by  ice,  and  all  our  at- 
tempts to  keep  it  clear  were  unsuccessful.  We 
could  now  keep  our  course  for  Boston  Light,  steer- 
ing the  brig  by  the  braces.  At  this  time  the  weather 
was  clear.  If  the  wind  had  continued  as  it  then 
was  a  few  hours  longer,  we  should  have  been 
safe  in  Nantasket  Roads.  But,  alas !  fate  decreed 
otherwise.  At  2  p.  m.  the  wind  hauled  to  the  north, 
increasing  in  violence.     Four  of  the   crew  badly 


■ 


'.^■','iA«*^?,"-Ko*V-.--«-.    ■.'■". 


A  NIGHT  OF  PERIL. 


219 


frosted,  the  vessel  covered  with  ice  arid  deprived  of 
the  use  of  her  rudder  ;  working  ship  was  out  of  the 
question.  We  therefore  hoisted  a  signal  of  distress, 
and  bore  away  for  Plymouth  Harbor.  Seeing  a 
brig  at  anchor  in  safety  inside,  we  had  strong  hopes 
of  assistance  to  enable  us  to  reach  the  anchorage. 
It  was  now  near  low  water,' and  the  sea  was  break- 
ing violently  across  the  entrance,  threatening  de- 
struction to  any  vessel  that  approached  it.  We  had 
no  alternative,  as  the  vessel  could  not  be  kept  olT 
shore  more  than  an  hour  longer,  and  we  accordingly 
pushed  for  the  entrance.  Abreast  of  the  Gurnet 
Head  the  wind  headed  us  off,  and  the  anchors  were 
both  let  go  in  three  fathoms  of  water,  the  vessel 
striking  heavily  between  the  swells  ;  the  land,  on 
one  side,  was  less  than  half  a  mile  distant,  between 
which  and  the  vessel  a  furious  sea  was  break- 
ing, which  forbade  all  hope  of  relief  from  that 
quarter. 

About  the  same  distance  from  us  lay  a  brig  in 
perfect  safety ;  but  as  the  sea  was  making  a  fair 
breach  over  us,  it  was  impossible  for  her  boats  to 
approach.  Night  was  fast  closing  upon  us,  the 
breakers  were  sweeping  our  decks,  the  vessel  strik- 
ing on  the  hard  sands  everv  few  minutes  with  a 
force  sufficient  to  demolish,  at  each  concussion,  a 
vessel  of  ordinary  construction.  The  crew  were 
worn  down  by  fatigue  and  unremitting  exertions, 
a  long  night  of  severe  suffering  and  anxiety  was 
before  us,  and  no  prospect  of  relief  till  the  morrow  ; 
and  fearful  doubts  whether  the  vessel  could  sustain 
the  severe  shocks  for  an  hour,  rendered  our  situa- 


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FOJiE  AND  AFT. 


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tion  one  of  the  most  painful  and  distressing  that 
can  be  conceived. 

As  yet  the  hull  was  unbroken  and  tight;  the 
sails  were  secured  as  well  as  circumstances  would 
permit ;  the  yawl  got  out  and  veered  astern  ;  tackles 
got  up  and  hooked  on  the  long-boat,  oars  and 
buckets  lashed  in,  and  a  hawser  made  fast  to  her, 
everything  being  in  readiness  to  get  her  out  if  the 
brig  should  bilge  during  the  night. 

About  8.30  P.M.,  the  flood  tide  making,  the  vessel 
lay  easy  and  afloat ;  the  wind  also  moderated,  and 
at  midnight  we  flattered  ourselves  that  at  daylight 
assistance  could  be  rendered  us  from  the  shore  and 
the  brig.  As  we  were  unable  to  do  anything  more 
for  the  preservation  of  the  vessel,  the  crew  were 
suffered  to  relax  awhile  from  their  severe  toils ;  the 
frozen  were  taken  into  the  cabin,  where  a  fire  had 
been  kept  in  the  stove,  and  their  sufferings  allevi- 
ated as  far  as  possible.  A  kettle  of  chocolate  was 
prepared,  which  refreshed  and  cheered  us  wonder- 
fully ;  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  the  brave  fellows 
laughed  at  past  toils,  and  fondly  dwelt  on  the  com- 
forts that  were  awaiting  them,  and  which  their 
vivid  imaginations  painted  as  almost  within  reach  ; 
but  their  rejoicing  was  of  short  duration.  Before 
daylight  the  wind  increased  to  a  gale  from  the 
north,  and  the  tide  at  that  time  being  the  last  of  ebb, 
we  were  again  in  shoal  water  with  a  heavy  sea  tum- 
bling in  ;  the  vessel  began  to  strike  again  violently, 
every  shock  taking  us  oft"  our  feet,  and  causing  the 
masts  to  swing  about  like  reeds  in  the  blast.  After 
thumping  in  this  manner  for  half  an  hour,  we  found 


t 


'yf~ 


•  ;]''.ip%rt^'rf:^'^'?""  ■ 


A  HELPLESS    WRECK. 


221 


she  had  bilged.  The  sea  was  now  breaking 
fore  and  aft ;  the  long-boat  was  so  heavy,  that,  with 
our  weak  crew,  we  were  unable  to  g^t  hef  out. 
The  main  topmast  backstays,  and  the  weather  rig- 
ging of  the  foremast  being  cut,  the  foremast  was 
cut  away,  taking  with  it  every  spar  but  the  bow- 
sprit and  mainmast;  the  latter  was  broken  off  just 
above  the  eves  of  the  risrging.  Relieved  of  this 
weight,  the  hull  lay  easier  for  awhile,  but  the  sea 
increasing,  the  work  of  destruction  continued.  The 
cables  were  now  slipped,  in  the  hope  of  the  wreck 
driving  higher  up  on  the  shoal,  or  over  it  on  to  the 
beach,  where  she  would  lay  less  exposed  to  a  furi- 
ous sea,  which  every  moment  was  tearing  he?;  asun- 
der. The  cabin  and  forecastle  were  full  of  water, 
and  at  dav light  we  found  that  the  keel  and  many 
of  the  planks  had  left  the  vessel.  She  was  now 
lying  head  to  the  breakers,  and  we  again  attempted 
to  get  out  the  long-boat  by  cutting  away  the  bul- 
warks and  stanchions,  in  order  to  launch  her  over. 
Before  we  could  accomplish  this,  the  wreck  swung 
round  broadside  to,  with  the  gangway  to  wind- 
ward, and  the  wreck  of  the  masts  and  yards  under 
the  lee  hanging  by  the  rigging,  which  we  could 
not  get  at  to  cut  away,  therefore  we  were  obliged 
to  abandon  our  attempts  in  that  direction.  The 
flood  tide  was  setting  athwart  the  breakers,  carrying 
the  fragments  of  the  wreck  and  drift  stuff  into 
smooth  water.  We  had  hoped  to  escape  in  the 
long-boat  by  the  help  of  the  current,  if  we  could 
have  launched  her. 

We  had  now  drifted  to  within  a  third  of  a  mile 


i 


\)\\\ 

if 


ill 


222 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


of  the  brig  at  anchor,  the  crew  of  which  had  been 
anxious  observers  of  our  situation  all  the  morning, 
without  being  able  to  render  us  any  assistance.  A 
boat  had  been  despatched  early  in  the  morning  to 
our  relief.  Approaching  the  wreck  as  near  as  the 
sea  would  permit  them,  they  lay  on  their  oars  wait- 
ing for  an  opportunity  to  rescue  us,  should  any 
occur,  of  which  there  was  but  a  faint  hope.  Some- 
times entangled  in  the  ice,  they  were  carried  a  mile 
or  two  from  us  ;  and  again  worked  their  way  towards 
the  spars  and  fragments  of  the  wreck,  which  the 
current  carried  clear  of  the  breakers,  to  see  if  there 
were  any  human  beings  clinging  to  them. 

Thq  sea  was  breaking  with  such  violence  over 
us,  that  we  were  frequently  buried  beneath  the 
fragments  of  wreck  ;  and  now  the  Angel  of  Death 
boarded  the  ill-fated  bark,  and  began  to  number 
his  victims.  The  first  sutTerer  was  a  beautiful  little 
Greek  boy,  about  twelve  years  of  age,  an  orphan. 
I  had  known  his  parents  in  Smyrna,  and  took  him 
as  an  apprentice.  When  the  cabin  began  to  fill 
with  water,  I  brought  him  on  deck,  wrapped  in  a 
blanket,  and  stowed  him  in  one  corner  of  the  round- 
house, which  had  resisted  many  heavv  seas,  and  yet 


■T 


remained  entire.  The  heart-rending  cries  of  the 
poor  little  fellow,  who  was  a  favorite  with  all  on 
board,  drew  tears  from  the  eyes  of  the  hardi:st, 
and  all  seemed  for  awhile  to  forget  their  own  sor- 
rows in  view  of  the  sullerings  of  poor  Jerome.  A 
tremendous  sea  at  this  moment  boarded  us,  the 
round-house  was  shivered  into  fragments,  find  the 
poor  boy's  agonizing  shrieks  were  hash' .i  in  dcJth. 


;i"-'«'K^'^ 


^^wk!^ 


LOSS   OF  THE  LONG-BOAT. 


Ul. 


The  same  sea  lifted  the  long-boat  overboard,  but 
did  not  capsize  her,  and  she  lay  to  leeward  of 
the  wreck,  upright,  but  full  of  water,  out  of  our 
reach.  One  of  the  seamen  was  also  buried  beneath 
the  ruins  of  the  round-house,  and  perished  there. 
The  mainmast  was  still  standing,  and  the  rigging  on 
it  firm  ;  to  that  we  now  retreated. 

The  vessel  was  fast  breaking  up.  Plank  after 
plank  was  leaving  her.  She  had  broken  in  two 
amidships,  the  cargo  was  washing  out,  and  every 
sea  was  reducing  her  to  fragments.  While  on  deck, 
with  the  sea  continually  breaking  over  us  (the 
water  not  being  as  cold  as  the  air),  the  ice  did  not 
accumulate  on  our  clothes,  nor  did  we  feel  the  cold 
so  keenly  as  we  did  after  gaining  the  rigging. 
Here  we  were  more  exposed  to  the  action  of  the  air  ; 
and  in  a  few  minutes,  with  the  sea  occasionally 
reaching  us,  we  resembled  clods  of  ice  more  tlinn 
human  beings. 

Abort  this  time  a  refluent  sea  brought  the  long- 
boat near  the  lower  part  of  the  rigging,  where 
three  seamen  and  myself  were  clinging.  Two  of 
ihem  threw  themselves  into  her;  the  other,  Augus- 
tus Tileston,  a  fine  young  lad  fron  Vermont,  was 
on  the  point  of  following  them,  1/ut,  seeing  that  I 
had  moved  towanls  the  boat  and  again  retreated, 
he  hesitated  what  to  do,  until  just  as  the  last  chance 
of/cred  of  reaching  her,  hearing  me  express  my  de- 
termination not  to  leave  the  others  who  were  unable 
to  get  into  the  boat,  he  embraced  my  knees  in  an 
affectionate  manner,  and  jumped  into  the  boat.  In 
a  second  she  was  out  of  reach  again.     They  now 


.J^'lJy.'^X  -i}  /:-*^'™,';-,,-s'V*^    ' 


ifc   ,^ 


il 


224 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


cast  off,  or  cut  the  hawser,  and  drifted  astern.  At 
this  time  I  believed  that  they,  and  they  alone, 
would  be  saved.  I  shouted  to  them  "  to  get  out  an 
oar  and  keep  her  head  to  the  sea,"  but,  exhausted 
by  their  previous  exertions,  and  chilled  through  by 
the  ice  and  water  which  filled  the  boat,  they  were 
unable  to  \  -r ,  The  boat  was  in  the  trougii  of 
the  sea,  the  -  heavy  roller  capsized  her,  and  they 
perished  before  our  eyes. 

Five  were  now  dead,  and  in  their  sad  fate  we 
saw  the  probable  prelude  to  our  own.  While  in 
the  rigging,  I  saw  the  poor  boy  Jerome  washed  from 
the  opposite  side  of  the  deck,  a  stiffened  corpse, 
and  in  a  few  moments  he  floated  from  the  wreck 
with  his  head  jammed  to  a  pumice. 

Finding  that  we  were  fast  freezing  in  this  situation, 
I  succeeded  in  regaining  a  part  of  the  quarter-deck, 
for  the  purpose  of  keeping  more  under  water,  and 
less  exposed  to  the  air.  To  this  place  I  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  others,  with  the  exception  of  one 
poor  fellow,  whose  hands  were  badly  frozen,  and 
his  fingers  bent  like  hooks.  He  had  caught  one 
hand  over  a  ratline  and  lost  his  foothold,  and  was 
dangling  in  the  air,  until  the  top  of  a  heavy  sea 
lifted,  and  fortunately  extricated,  him  from  his  sin- 
gular and  perilous  situation. 

\V  were  unable  to  lash  ourselves,  but  succeeded 
in  getting  into  the  bight  of  some  water-cask  lash- 
ings that  were  around  the  quarter  stanchions,  the 
casks  having  washed  out  of  them.  Here  we  re- 
mained for  about  an  hour,  watching  with  intense  in- 
terest the  party  in  the  boats,  who  for  four  hours  made 


II ' 


?vV  •*■>■■■ 


VAIN  ATTEMPTS  AT  RESCUE. 


225 


fruitless  exertions  to  rescue  us.  They  were  often 
in  imminent  danger  of  being  carried  by  the  ice 
among  the  breakers,  or  of  freezing  in  the  boats; 
in  vain  forcing  their  way  through  bodies  of  ice, 
impelled  by  the  loud  supplications  of  their  suffer- 
ing brethren  to  their  rescue ;  approaching  even 
within  the  whirling  foam  of  the  breakers,  but  well 
knowing  if  they  ventured  further  all  would  be  lost, 
they  again  retired,  and  oh  !  with  what  feelings  of 
agony  did  we  see  them  return  to  their  vessel ;  we 
hoped  they  had  gone  for  fresh  hands,  but  again  hope 
died  within-  us,  as  we  saw  them  leave  their  boat, 
their  places  not  taken  by  others,  and  the  boat 
dropped  astern.  They  could  not  stand  idle  long  ; 
again  our  shouts  rang  in  their  ears,  and  aroused  their 
hearts  to  greater  daring.  Their  long-boat  on  deck 
was  stowed  full  of  cotton  bales ;  it  /as  speedily 
emptied,  and  hoisted  out,  and  after  what  seemed  to 
us  an  age  of  time,  both  boats  shoved  off  again  to 
our  rescue,  with  orders  to  keep  as  near  the  wreck 
as  possible,  and  remain  until  they  saw  the  last  of 
us. 

In  the  meantime  the  wreck  was  fast  disappearing, 
—  breaking  up,  or  settling  in  the  sand  ;  and,  expect- 
ing that  the  next  wave  would  send  us  into  eternity, 
with  what  awful  suspense  did  we  await  their  mo- 
tions !  They  approached,  with^both  boats,  to  with- 
in one  hundred  yards  of  us ;  nearer  to  the  terrific 
breakers  they  could  not  come  and  live.  One  of  the 
boats  at  this  time  was  nearly  a  mile  from  us,  en- 
tangled in  the  ice,  and  being  carried  away  by  the 
tide.    The  other  one,  just  without  the  breakers,  was 


H 


I 


r^i 


I'll 


^ip 


i:^^         ■!.    *r  .■'*T'i 


226 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


\ ' 


.  I. 


Hi! 


i.i' 


watching  the  drift  stuff  that  came  from  the  wreck, 
to  see  if  any  human  being  should  be  clinging  to  the 
fragments. 

We  were  now  satisfied  that  no  boat  could  reach 
us  unless  the  sea  fell,  and  nothing  short  of  a  mir- 
acle could  have  effected  that,  before  we  had  all 
frozen  to  death.  I  had  made  up  my  mind  that  man 
could  not  save  us,  when  suddenly  we  were  aston- 
ished by  the  unaccountable  falling  of  the  sea,  which 
became  comparatively  smooth.  The  crew  in  the 
Jong-boat  seized  the  opportunity,  pulled  in  to  the 
wreck,  we  threw  ourselves  into  her,  cleared  the 
breakers  in  safety,  and  soon  found  ourselves  in  the 
comfortable  cabin  of  the  brig  Cervantes^  of  Boston, 
Captain  Kendrick,  and  receiving  all  the  kindness 
and  attention  that  humanity  could  suggest.  The 
lull  of  the  sea  was  occasioned,  as  Captain  Kendrick 
told  me,  by  a  large  cake  of  ice  drifting  by  the 
wreck  to  windward,  the  flood-tide  setting  it  athwart 
the  breakers,  which  kept  the  sea  from  breaking 
while  it  was  passing. 

To  the  intrepid  and  daring  perseverance  of  these 
brave  men,  under  God,  we  owe  our  lives.  When 
taken  off,  we  were  utterly  helpless.  The  ice  had 
accumulated  on  our  clothes  to  such  a  degree,  that 
we  could  not  bend  a  joint.  We  felt  the  blood  freez- 
ing in  our  veins,  and  nature  was  nearly  exhausted. 
Our  deliverance  was  unlooked  for,  and  truly  prov- 
idential. 

The  next  morning,  when  the  Cervantes  got  im- 
derweigh  for  Boston,  nothing  was  to  be  seen  of  the 
wreck  but  some  of  the  floor  timbers  sticking  out  of 


SAFE  ASHORE. 


227 


the  flats  at  half  tide.  The  spot  where  the  Regu- 
lator was  wrecked  is  a  hard  sand  shoal,  called 
Brown's  Island,  over  which,  at  low  '\ater,  the  sea 
breaks  furiously  in  northerly  storms.  Plymouth 
Harbor  was  frozen  over  for  some  miles  below  the 
town,  with  much  broken  ice  intei-vening ;  so  that 
while  hundreds  of  spectators  were  witnessing  the 
wreck,  they  were  unable  to  send  us  relief.  A  boat 
was  worked  over  the  :ce  and  reached  the  vicinity 
of  the  wreck  after  we  were  taken  off,  but  their  ar- 
rival v^rould  have  been  too  late  had  there  been  not 
other  help. 

On  the  morning  of  the  7th,  we  were  landed  at 
Rainsford  Island.  Boston  Harbor  was  frozen  over 
nearly  down  to  the  islands.  Here  we  experienced 
every  care  and  attention  that  our  wants  required, 
or  hospitality  could  bestow  ;  and  for  the  kindness 
of  Mr.  Minot  and  his  excellent  family,  and  the 
medical  care  of  Dr.  J.  V.  C.  Smith,  the  survivors 
feel  under  deep  obligations.  The  Humane  Society 
of  Boston  bestowed  gold  medals  and  money  on  the 
officers  and  crew  of  the  Cervantes;  and  the  citizens 
of  Boston,  with  their  accustomed  liberality,  sub- 
scribed six  hundred  dollars  for  the  relief  of  the  mates 
and  surviving  seamen  of  the  Regulator.  The  only 
article  saved  from  the  wreck  was  a  trunk  belonging 
to  myself,  picked  up  on  the  back  of  Cape  Cod. 


ii>i 


),  I 


i| 


* 


'kt 


\ 


228 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


CHAPTER    XX. 


AN  AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIENCE. 


.if, 


TN  less  than  six  weeks  from  the  time  of  the  dis- 
-*■  aster,  I  was  again  proceeding  down  Boston  Har- 
bor, with  a  cargo  of  ice  for  the  Mediterranean.  I 
was  a  cripple  at  the  time,  from  the  effects  of  a 
frozen  foot  and  sundry  contusions,  which  still  neces- 
sitated the  use  of  crutches.  Arriving  at  Malta  with 
the  first  cargo  of  ice  ever  taken  there,  an  injunction 
was  served  on  mv  consignee  at  the  instance  of  a 
Sicilian  house,  forbidding  its  being  landed  there. 
This  house,  some  two  years  previously,  had  ob- 
tained from  the  Maltese  Government  the  monopoly 
of  supplying  the  island  with  snow  for  twenty  years, 
to  the  exclusion  of  all  other  parties.  This  snow  was 
obtained  from  the  sides  of  Mount  Etna,  was  trans- 
ported on  donkeys  to  the  shore,  a  distance  of  twenty- 
five  or  thirty  miles,  then  by  open  boats  across  the 
channel  about  sixty  miles  more,  and  the  business 
had  proved  very  profitable.  Mr.  Paul  Eynaud,  the 
American  Consul,  insisted  that  we  had  a  right  to 
sell  and  land  our  cargo ;  tiierefore  the  matter  was 
referred  to  the  courts.  The  decision  v/as  that  ice 
and  snow  were  different  articles,  and  the  monopoly 
guaranteed  to  the  Sicilians  for  the  one  article  ap- 
plied to  that  alone.  Accordingly  the  blue  blocks 
of  Yankee  ice  were  landed  and  deposited  in   an 


i! 


FROM  SHIP  TO  SHORE. 


229 


lie  dis- 
n  Har- 
an.     I 
ts  of  a 
I  neces- 
ta  with 
Linction 
:e  of  a 
i  there, 
lad  ob- 
>nopoly 
y  years, 
ow  was 
3  trans- 
twenty- 
•oss  the 
jushicss 
lud,  the 
risfht  to 
:ter  was 
that  ice 
Duopoly 
;icle  ap- 
blocks 
1  in   an 


ancient  catacomb  near  the  shore,  from  which  it  was 
speedily  distributed  among  the  natives,  to  their 
great  satisfaction  and  to  the  profit  of  the  owners  ; 
but  tlie  dealers  in  snow  were  highly  indignant. 

Proceeding  to  Smyrna,  we  found  the  plague  pre- 
vailing to  such  an  extent,  that  business  was  almost 
paralyzed.  Therefore  after  landing  the  balance  of 
the  outward  cargo,  I  was  again  obliged  to  fly  from 
the  pestilence.  With  the  requisite  empty  casks, 
a*nd  a  gang  of  Greek  coopers,  we  sailed  for  the 
Gulf  of  Adrymittia,  and  at  a  small  port  took  on 
board  about  one  hundred  casks  of  olive  oil,  then 
passed  down  the  straits  of  Scio  to  the  island  of 
Samos,  where  the  loading  of  the  lower  hold  was 
completed  with  "  Samian  wine."  Returning  to 
Smyrna  we  found  the  plague  had  ceased,  and  here 
the  balance  of  the  homeward  cargo  being  taken  on 
board,  we  departed  on  the  passage  home,  and  ar- 
rived at  Boston  in  September,  all  well  and  in  good 
condition. 

And  now,  for  the  especial  benefit  of  my  seafaring 
brethren,  I  will  give  them  a  short  chapter  on  agri- 
culture. 

From  my  own  experience  and  observation,  I  know 
it  to  be  a  fact  that  the  majority  of  sailors,  while  pur- 
suing their  calling  on  the  deep,  are  very  prone  to 
look  forward  to  the  time  when  they  may  be  enabled 
"  to  coil  up  their  ropes  and  cast  anchor  on  shore  "  ; 
how  many  lonely  hours  of  the  night  watch  are 
whiled  away  in  "  castle  building,"  not  in  the  air, 
but  on  terra  Jirma^  the  climax  of  all  being  a 
farm  ;  of  their  hopes  and  wishes  leaping  forward 


.:,! 


U 


m 


cii 


»'t 


':||i 


1' 


'■■  f' 


>;  t  w 


230 


FOI?E  AND  AFT. 


to  the  exchange  of  the  hoarse  midnight  cry  on  a 
dark,  stormy  night,  for  "  all  hands  to  reef  top-sails," 
for  the  sweet  voice  of  his  wife  singing,  — 

'*  I'll  be  mistress  of  my  dairy,  a-milking  of  m.y  cow, 
While  my  jolly  young  farmer  goes  whistling  to  plough." 

With  a  snug  little  farm,  a  snug  little  wife,  and 
*' an  ambling  pad  pony  to  pace  o'er  the  lawn," 
what  more  could  be  wanted?  Ir.  fact,  this  seems 
to  be  the  only  legitimate  way  for  the  sailor  to  quit 
the  ocean.  With  me,  this  crisis  was  near  at  hand. 
Therefore  I  purchased  a  snug  little  farm  within 
twenty  miles  of  the  city,  and  with  the  other  two 
requisites  above  mentioned,  I  went  to  work,  not  as 
a  gentleman  farmer,  but  a  worker,  —  an  indepen- 
dent tiller  of  the  soil.  When  a  boy,  I  had  ridden 
the  horse  to  plough  on  the  "old  farm,"  had  dropped 
potatoes  in  drills,  had  planted  corn,  —  sometimes, 
when  in  a  hurry  to  get  my  stint  done,  depositing 
half  a  pint  in  a  hill,  thereby  manifesting  a  talent  for 
"pushing  things,"  —  so  that  I  could  now  manage  a 
farm  understandingly.  I  would  have  good  crops. 
"  I'd  have  hogs,  dogs,  cows,  sows,  turkeys,  ducks, 
and  barley-mows."  I  now  laid  aside  "  Bowditch's 
Navigator"  and  the  "Nautical  Almanac"  for  agri- 
cultural reports  and  Thomas's  "  Old  Farmer's  Al- 
manac." The  "  Coast  Pilot"  was  also  rejected,  for 
here  it  was  all  plain  sailing. 

I  navigated  very  well  for  a  few  weeks,  until  one 
day  I  was  hauling  compost  on  to  a  field  with  a  cart 
and  my  "  pad  pony,"  which,  by  the  way,  was  a 
mare  named  "Jinny,"  and  a  hired  man  helping. 


A    WRECK  ON  LAND. 


331 


In  ascending  a  knoll,  on  the  right  hand  of  which 
was  a  deep  hole  full  of  soft  mud,  I  was  helping  up 
hill  by  applying  my  shoulder  to  the  wheel,  while 
my  man  led  the  horse  by  the  bridle  ;  old  Jinny  got 
stuck,  the  man  let  go  of  her  head  and  jumped  to  the 
wheel ;  at  that  moment  the  starboard  wheel  cutdown 
into  a  rotten  stump  of  a  tree,  which  slewed  Jinny's 
head  round  shar^^  towards  the  mud-hole.  Being 
pointed  down  hill,  she  could  not  keep  back  with  a 
heavy  load  pressing  on  her,  at  an  angle  of  at  least 
forty-five  degrees,  so  she  clove  into  the  mud,  bury- 
ing her  figure-head  and  bows,  and"  there  she  stuck, 
as  a  whaleman  would  say, ''  socket  deep."  To  dis- 
charge the  cargo  and  capsize  the  cart  occupied 
some  time,  during  which  the  poor  old  buried-alive 
creature  made  her  exit,  not  from  th^'  mud-hole,  but 
from  life. 

We  then  rove  a  tackle,  —  blocks  and  ropes  being 
among  my  farming  tools.  Hooking  th^;  single 
block  to  the  trunk  of  an  apple-tree,  and  the  double 
one  to  her  tail.,  we  hauled  her  out  sicrn  first;  and 
here  I  was  cast  away  in  a  fresh  water  mud-hole,  — 
old  Jinny  a  total  loss,  and  no  insurance.  However, 
the  damages  were  speedily  repaired,  and  all  w  ■  t 
well  for  a  while.  Then  ploughing  time  came.  My 
new  "  old  horse,"  named  "'Tom  Bowling,"  was  not 
strong  enough  alone,  therefore  a  yoke  of  steady 
oxen  were  attached  to  the  plough,  with  Old  Tom 
ahead  and  a  boy  on  his  back.  The  line  of  furrow 
was  marked  out  by  a  shingle  at  the  end  of  it,  for 
which  the  boy  was  ordered  to  make  a  bee  line,  and 
6t£  er  small.     On  the  first  tack  we  made  a  straight 


^ 


i^ 


'  I. 


'  Hi 

1  'i,.^« 


I  J?  ''' 


!  '■' 


f 


I  i.. 


jH  iili 


!: 


^Iff 


i!  ;:ii 


233 


FOIiE  AND  AFT. 


course  without  any  leeway,  but  when  we  had  to 
tack  ship  it  was  another  matter.  The  craft  mis- 
stayed,  and  wouldn't  come  round.  The  boy  got 
ofl"  the  horse  to  help  me  ;  he  said  I  was  on  the 
wrong  side  of  the  oxen  (just  as  if  I  couldn't  put  a 
sliip  about  standing  on  either  side  of  the  deck). 
One  of  the  beasts  seemed  willing  to  come  round  all 
ship-shape,  but  the  other  backed  astern  to  wear 
ship,  and  they  both  got  in  the  doldrums.  The 
horse  turned  round  with  his  stern  to  windward,  and 
stepped  outside  of  the  traces,  so  that  altogether  we 
were  in  a  bad  fix. 

A  neighbor,  witnessing  the  scrape,  stepped  over 
and  asked  what  the  matter  was.  He  was  told  there 
was  matter  enough,  for  the  larboard  ox  had  got  on 
the  starboard  side  ;  Old  Tom  had  got  foul  in  the  rig- 
ging; they  were  making  a  stern  board,  and  were  all 
going  into  the  ditch  together.  The  oxen  were  taken 
away,  and  I  finished  the  job  with  the  horse  in  good 
shape,  with  the  determination  to  do  all  my  work  in 
future  without  the  help  of  the  ruminators.  The 
planting  was  well  done,  and  in  course  of  time  the 
crops  appeared.  They  looked  as  well  as  my  neigh- 
bors', while  my  walks,  walls,  and  fences  were  a 
pattern  for  anybody.  What  with  milking  two 
cows,  taking  care  of  pigs,  poultry,  etc.,"  I  had  to 
work  hard.  When  haying  time  came,  I  gave  a 
helping  hand  to  a  brother  sailor  by  employing  him. 

Captain  Bowers,  a  man  of  Falstafiian  propor- 
tions, and  of  an  excellent  spirit,  was  my  neighbor ; 
he  was  out  of  employ,  waiting  for  a  ship,  and  I 
shipped   him.     He  was   to   have  a  dollar  a   day, 


A    CAPSIZE, 


233 


iirh- 


taking  liis  pay  in  potatoes  at  a  dollar  a  bushel. 
The  hay  was  cut  and  well  made  ;  then  with  Old 
Tom  and  the  hay  rigging  we  were  getting  it  in. 
In  taking  on  the  last  load,  which  was  a  large  one,  I 
told  Captain  Bowers  that  he  must  get  on  and  I  would 
jjitch  it  up  to  him.  To  this  he  objected,  because  he 
was  too  heavy  ;  but  as  he  was  told  that  he  would  for- 
feit his  pay  if  he  disobeyed  orders,  he  was  too  good  a 
sailor  to  hesitate,  and  up  he  mounted.  As  the  load 
was  rising  higher  and  higher,  I  heard  frequent  in- 
quiries as  to  how  he  was  to  get  off.  oLill  the  heap 
increased,  and  at  last  all  being  on,  he  called  for  a 
ladder  ;  but  no,  —  he  was  ordered  to  "  lie  down  and 
keep  quiet  until  the  barn  was  reached."  "'  But," 
he  remonstrated,  "  I  can't  do  it, — you  will  capsize 
me."  Regardless  of  his  remonstrances,  I  started 
up  Old  Tom,  the  Captain  calling  out,  "  Now  mind 
your  helm,  or  you'll  capsize  me,  and  I  know  you 
mean  to."  But  I  had  no  such  intention.  As  it  hap- 
pened, the  pin  which  fastened  the  bow  of  the  cart 
down  got  loose  and  shook  out,  so  that  when  the 
team  ascended  the  road  the  cart  tipped  up,  and  the 
entire  load,  with  the  Captain  in  the  heart  of  it,  was 
deposited  in  the  middle  of  the  road.  He  was  soon 
extricated,  alive  and  unhurt,  but  was  ungrateful 
enough  to  insist  upon  it  that  the  capsize  was  not 
accidental.  The  haying  was  not  finished  without 
manv  a  hearty  laugh. 

The  crops  at  the  harvesting  were  as  good  as  any- 
body's, and  the  winter  passed  pleasantly ;  but  the 
figuring  up  of  profits  was  not  very  satisfactory,  and 
I  began  the  spring  work  without  much  enthusiasm. 


i 


m 


i-\ 


ll'it,  H 


At: 


iiJ 


f.  I V .  .1 


-') 


I  1^'  i^  : 


ill 


i. 


I 


Pi 


1 


1 


234 


FOJ?E  AND  AFT. 


Now  and  then  something  v^ould  occur  to  caution 
me  against  parting  with  my  quadrant.  For  in- 
stance :  while  I  was  working  up  a  pile  of  compost 
to  cast  out  on  a  field,  an  old  retired  "  sea-dog  "  came 
along  and  bid  me  good-morning.  Leaning  on  his 
silver-headed  cane,  he  watched  my  operations  for 
some  tune,  and  then  came  out  with  a  remark  which 
stuck  in  my  crop  so  hard  that  it  did  not  digest  until 
I  was  west  of  Cape  Horn.  "  Well,  sir,"  said  he, 
''^  there  is  a  good  deal  of  difference  between  waUiing 
a  fine  ship's  quarter-deck  and  turning  over  a  pile  of 
manure  with  a  fork."  This  cruel  speech  quite  un- 
settled my  agricultural  ideas  ;  but  my  labor  was  not 
relaxed  until  the  final  blow  came.  1  was  hoeing  a 
field  of  corn,  a  hot  day  in  July.  Getting  to  the  end 
of  a  row  I  sat  down  to  rest.  Observing  a  shingle 
near  by,  I  took  it  up  and  figured  out  with  my  pen- 
cil, as  near  as  possible,  what  I  should  realize  per 
day  for  my  vvoik.  The  yield  was  promising ;  Uiere 
would  be  so  many  bushels,  which,  at  a  fair  price, 
would  bring  a  certain  sum,  from  which,  deducting 
all  expenses,  I  should  realize  twenty  cents  a  day  net 
profit.  I  jumped  up,  and  tiirowing  the  lioe  as  far 
as  I  could  throw  it,  walked  into  the  house  with  the 
shingle  in  my  hand. 

'•  There  !  "  said  I  to  my  wife,  "  I'll  never  hoe 
another  hill  of  corn  as  long  as  I  live  !  " 

"  Well,  what  is  the  matter  now?  "  asked  my  bet- 
ter half. 

"  Matter  enough.  Look  at  that  shingle,  —  there's 
the  whole  story.  Twenty  cents  a  day  and  working 
like  a  slave.     lam  done  w'th  farming.     I  am  ready 


caution 
For  in- 
compost 
g'*  came 
^  on  his 
tions  for 
k  which 
;est  until 
said  lie, 
waU:ing 
1  pile  of 
uite  un- 
was  not 
loeing  a 
>  the  end 

shingle 
my  pen- 
ilize  per 
g ;  ! here 
ir  price, 
educting 
1  day  net 
:>e  as  for 
with  the 

;ver  hoe 

1  my  bet- 

—  there's 
working 
un  ready 


AGAIN  AFLOAT. 


235 


for  a  ship,  and  '  again  shall  my  plough  go  to  plough- 
ing of  the  deep.'  " 

I  sold  the  farm,  with  Old  Tom,  at  a  discount, 
and  the  following  January  was  on  the  way  to  Cape 
Horn.  1  hope  my  experience  given  above  may 
benefit  some  Brother  Webfoot  who  may  think  of 
exchanging  the  ship  for  the  farm.  My  advice  is,  do 
all  your  plo'igliing  with  your  cutwater  in  the  broad 
acres  of  Old  Ocean  ;  when  done  with  that,  if  you 
must  plant  and  dig,  plant  yourself  in  the  arm-chair 
of  an  insurance  office  (if  you  can),  or  dig  clams, 
but  let  alone  a  farm. 


Mi 


n 
■J 


i 


'"iiS 


'Hi 

■m 

i  ■ 


.ff 

t 


>n\-'\ 


M 

::i! 

m 


236 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


CHAPTER     XXI. 


A  CALIFORNIA  CRUISE. 


A  VOYAGE  to  California,  in  tjie  years  of 
which  I  write,  was  considered  a  matter  of 
greater  importance  than  it  is  r.t  present.  The  early 
history  of  the  country  and  the  Pacific  coast,  and 
of  the  oldest  residents  and  traders  there,  has  been 
the  subject  of  so  many  writers  of  late  years,  that 
there  is  not  much  left  to  be  said.  Not  being  there 
early  enough  to  rank  as  a  pioneer  trader,  I  was  yet 
early,  comparing  the  condition  of  matters  and  things 
then  and  now.  In  June,  1S40,  I  arrived  at  Mon- 
terey in  the  ship  Alert^  —  the  same  ship  on  board 
which  Mr.  Dana,  on  a  previous  voyage,  served  a 
part  of  his  "  two  years  before  the  mast."  We  were 
prosecuting  a  similar  voyage.  I  read  his  book  some 
years  since,  and  was  impressed  with  the  correctness 
of  his  description  of  the  manner  of  collecting  and 
curiuGf  a  carijo  of  hides;  therefore  anvthing  I  could 
now  say  of  that  business  would  only  be  a  repetition. 
1  iic  author  of  that  work  is  charjjed  with  statin^;  that 
the  ship's  crew  had  to  skin  some  thirty  thousand 
bullocks  to  obtain  the  cargo.  I  think  Mr.  Dana 
does  not  make  such  a  statement.  I  will  only  say, 
that  the  crews,  on  these  voyages,  kill  and  skin  only 
the  animals  required  for  the  supply  of  beef  for  ship 
use.     Passing  over  the  details  of  the  journals  of 


CAPTAIN  SMITH. 


237 


three  voyages  to  California  between  tiie  early  part 
of  1840  and  1S55,  with  intervals  of  absence  be- 
tween, I  propose  only  to  give  a  few  fragments  of 
history  of  men  and  events,  which  may  help  to  con- 
nect the  paiLt  wjth  the  present. 

In  1S40,  one  of  the  fathers  of  the  Missions  was 
still  living,  who  assured  me  that  the  older  fathers 
spoke  of  a  tradition  handed  down  to  them  by  the 
Indians  of  a  generation  long  since  passed  away, 
and  which  they  believed,  to  the  eflect  that  the  time 
was  within  their  recollection  when  the  "  Golden 
Gates"  were  not  open,  and  when  the  water  of  the 
great  bay  passing  through  the  valley  had  its  outlet 
to  the  sea  in  Monterey  Bay,  near  Santa  Cruz  ;  that 
at  certain  seasons  of  the  year  the  Northern  Indians 
were  accustomed  to  emijjrate  soutiierlv  bv  the  coast 
in  large  bodies,  to  live  upon  tl  ^hell-fish  which 
abounded  on  the  shores,  and  the  wid  Indians  in- 
sisted on  the  statement  that  they  passed  frum  Bo- 
dega to  Santa  Cruz  uninterrupted  by  water.  The 
large  mounds  of  shells  which  are  still  to  be  found 
along  the  coast,  seem  to  confirm  the  truth  of  a  part 
of  this, tradition. 

At  this  time  there  was  also  living  Captain  Wil- 
liam Smith,  an  ancient  mariner,  who  was  contem- 
porary, and  well  acquainted  with  Vancouver,  and 
also  with  Captain  Gray,  who  discovered  the  Co- 
lumbia River,  and  gave  the  name  of  his  ship 
to  this  grand  discovery.  Captain  Smith  was  in 
command  of  the  ship  Albatross^  in  the  North  Pa- 
cific, trading  between  the  west  coast,  the  Sandwich 
Islands,   and  Canton.     This   old   veteran  was    for 


!l^ 


•If 


■ 


^Ki 


ti  : 

■.     '.     • 

■J 


■ ; 


ill' 


15 


i! 


U\ 


¥f 


238 


rOJ?E  AND  AFT. 


some  months  a  guest  on  board  the  Alert  in  1840, 
and  deserves  more  than  a  pass'  ig  notice.  By  birth 
a  Virginian,  but  a  Bostonian  by  adoption,  he  was 
then  seventy-six  years  old,  and  had  been  to  sea  ever 
since  he  was  eleven  years  of  age.  He  began 
his  sea  life  on  board  an  English  gunboat  previous 
to  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  and  during  that  war 
served  on  various  ships  and-vessels  in  the  American 
Navv.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  entered  the  mcr- 
chant  service,  and,  at  an  earl}'  period  of  the  present 
century,  was  engaged  in  the  sealing  business  and 
fur  trade  of  the  North-west.  In  the  war  of  181 2-15 
he  was  still  in  the  Albatross,  navigating  the  Pacific. 
Ruschenbcrger,  in  his  "  Three  Yeari;  in  the  Pacific," 
speaks  of  Captain  Smith  as  being  "  a  remarkable 
specimen  of  an  old  seaman,"  and  relates  a  conver- 
sation .vitli  him,  in  which  the  old  man  said  that 
"but  two  things  in  this  world  ever  chafed  him,  —  a 
California  saddle  and  a  missionary."  Another  inci- 
dent, about  which  he  did  not  like  to  be  questioned, 
probably  caused  him  greater  irritation  than  the 
above. 

When  Commodore  Porter,  with  the  Essex  and 
Essex  Junior,,  during  the  war  with  England,  was 
lying  at  Novaheva,  in  the  Washington  Group,  re- 
pairing, the  Albatross  made  her  appearance,  run- 
ning down  for  the  island,  and  was  telegraphed  to 
the  Commodore  by  his  lookout  from  tiie  hill.  Cap- 
tain Smith  intended  calling  there,  '  ut  was  fearful 
that  an  English  ship-of-war  might  b-'  in  the  harbor, 
and  therefore  approached  the  entrance  cautiously. 
On  board  the  man-of-war  it  was  thought  the  ship 


u. 


'-■»■•-«■ 


A   SEA' CHASE. 


239 


in  the  offing  might  be  English,  and  the  flag  of  that 
nation  was  hoisted  to  decoy  her  in.  The  Essex 
yunior  (Lieutenant  Downes  in  command)  was 
ready  to  slip  out  in  pursuit.  Captain  Smith  was 
at  the  end  of  the  flying-jib-boom,  to  satisfy  himself 
as  to  what  was  in  the  harbor  as  it  opened  out  from 
behind  a  headland.  "  Up  helm,"  shouted  the  old 
man  ;  "  hard  up  and  square  away  the  yards,  rig 
out  the  boom,  and  pack  everything  on  to  her ;  there's 
two  infernal  Englishmen  in  there."  And  away  flew 
the  Albatross^  with  her  white  wings  expanded  to  the 
uttermost.  The  mate  expressed  his  opinion  that 
the  ships  in  port  were  not  English,  but  the  Captain 
listened  to  no  one.  His  own  opinion  he  had  been 
accustomed  to  stand  to  when  expressed  ;  he  always 
relied  on  his  own  judgment ;  he  knew  that  a  ship 
could  not  safely  liave  but  a  single  will,  and  that  the 
will  of  the  master;  he  was  determined  to  manage 
his  ship  in  his  own  way,  — he  cared  not  a  fig  for 
the  opinions  of  his  mates,  and  was  never  more  bent 
on  having  his  way  than  wh  .n  all  hands  grumbled, 
and  opposed  iiim.  Before  hi;  yards  were  trimmed 
to  make  his  escape,  the  Essex  Junior  was  covered 
with  canvas,  and  in  a  few  minutes  she  slipped  her 
moorings  in  full  pursuit.  Captain  Smith  and  iiis 
ship  were  well  known  to  the  Commodore,  but  he 
did  not  intend  to  let  him  run  away,  so  pursuit  was 
ordered.  *'  Preciously  rot  'em,"  shouted  the  old 
man,  using  his  favorite  expression,  "  here  they  come, 
—  1  knew  they  were  English."  The  qhase  was  not 
a  very  long  one,  the  pn  iier  coming  up  hand  over 
hand.      Finding   escape    impossible,    the    Captain 


i 


j(  i 


$■ 


u 


240 


I^'ORE  AND  AFT. 


turned  his  attention  to  his  means  of  defence,  con- 
sisting of  "'x  six-pounders.  "  Load  the  guns  and 
blaze  away  a'  her,"  he  ordered,  but  the  crew  refused 
to  do  so.  "  If  we  fire  a  gun  she  will  send  us  to  tho 
bottom,"  said  the  mate.  "  Mutiny  !  "  exclaimed  the 
Captain,  but  he  was  not  ol)eyed.  Descending  into 
the  cabin,  he  ordered  the  steward  to  throw  all  the 
cabin  furniture  overboard,  and  as  piece  after  piece 
of  his  nice  Chinese  "  cumshaws"  went  through  the 
windows,  with,  "  Rot  'em,  they  shan't  have  that," 
the  most  valuable  articles  were  selected  to  ornament 
the  ship's  wake.  Going  on  deck'and  looking  at  the 
advancing  "  red  cross  of  England,"  he  saw  that  it 
was  all  up  with  the  Aibatross.  The  quarter-boat 
and  gig  had  just  been  nicely  painted  :  "  Rot  'em, 
they  shall  paint  them  over  again,"  he  said,  and  call- 
ing for  a  black  paint  bucket,  he  had  them  daubed 
over  inside.  Just  then  a  gun  from  the  chase  caused 
Captain  Smith  to  look  astern,  and  behold  !  the  Stars 
and  Stripes  were  at  the  peak  of  the  ship  in  pursuit. 
When  taken  on  board  the  Essex  jfunior  and  wel- 
comed by  his  old  acquaintance.  Lieutenant  Downes, 
it  is  probable  that  he  then  chafed  considerably.  In 
the  closing  years  of  his  life  the  old  seaman  was 
quite  dependent,  but  at  every  house  in  California 
he  found  a  welcome.  Mr.  Sturgis,  in  sending  a  siiip 
to  the  coast,  always  requested  his  captains  to  offer 
him  a  home  on  board,  so  that  he  was  transferred 
from  ship  to  ship,  until  it  was  thought  best  for  him 
to  be  located  on  shore.  He  was  kindly  cared  for, 
and  died  at  Santa  Barbara  in  1843  or  1844. 

Prominent  among  the  early  visitors  to  California, 


A   PIONEER   TRADER. 


241 


5,  con- 
is  and 
refused 
;  to  tho 
led  the 
ig  into 
all  the 
r  piece 
.'.gh  the 
that," 
nament 
■y  at  the 
that  it 
Ler-boat 
,ot  'em, 
nd  call- 
daubed 
caused 
Stars 
:)ursuit. 
nd  svel- 
)ownes, 
ly.     In 
m  was 
lifornia 
1;  a  shi[) 
to  otVer 
isferred 
or  him 
oil   tor, 

lifornia, 


le 


and  the  first  to  open  a  direct  trade  between  this 
coast  and  Boston,  was  William  Alden  Gale,  Esq., 
fi  descendant  of  Hon.  John  Alden,  one  of  the  Pil- 
grims of  the  Mayjlower^  and  o^  historical  and  po- 
etical memory.  Mr.  Gale  sailed  from  Boston  in 
1809,  in  the  ship  Albatross^  Captain  Winship,  and 
was  engaged  in  the  sealing  business,  in  both  Pa- 
cifies, for  eight  years.  During  this  period  he  was 
left  with  a  sealing  gang  on  the  South  Island  of  the 
Farallones,  off  the  entrance  of  San  Francisco  Bay, 
where  he  remained  for  many  months,  obtaining 
from  there,  in  two  seasons,  over  seventv-three  thou- 
sand  fur  seal-skins.  It  was  during  this  voyage  that 
an  attempt  was  made  to  establish  a  settlement  at 
the  Columbia  River,  by  Captain  Nathan  Winship, 
in  the  ship  Albatross,^  who  first  broke  ground  and 
planted  corn  at  that  place,  although  the  credit  of  that 
transaction  has  been  ascribed  to  others.  Green- 
how,  in  his  work  on  "  California  and  Oregon," 
speaks  of  the  above  ship  landing  a  party  of  hunters 
there  at  that  time,  and  states  that  William  Smith 
was  Captain.  A  more  recent  writer  mentions  the 
ship  Winship^  and  a  Captain  Gale,  as  being  in  the 
early  trade  at  the  river.  Both  accounts  arc  errone- 
ous ;  there  was  no  such  ship  as  the  Winship  on  the 
coast.  I  was  personally  well  acquainted  with  Cap- 
tain Smith  and  Mr.  Gale,  and  am  able  to  state,  not 
only  from  tiieir  own  lips,  but  also  from  the  Alba- 
tross's log-book,  the  simple  facts  in  the  case: 
namely,  that  William  Smith  was  mate  to  Captain 
Winship,  and  Mr.  Gale  was  assistant  trader  and 
clerk  on  the  same  ship.  It  is  singular  that  in  the 
16 


m 


f  ;■ 


I     ' 

I 


242 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


if 


ill 


if 


11  Ij 


!!  h 


■  \ 


•  1 


|!:' 


I 


!( 


various  hirtories  of  the  North-west  Coast,  the 
names  of  the  three  brothers,  Abiel,  Jonathan,  and 
Nathan  Winship,  who  were  among  the  earliest  and 
most  active  participants  in  its  earliest  trade,  are  en- 
tirely ignored. 

On  his  return  to  Boston,  Mr.  Gale  gave  so  favor- 
able an  account  of  the  prospects  of  opening  a  trade 
on  the  coast  of  California,  that  a  number  of  enter- 
prising merchants,  among  them  Bryant  &  Sturgis, 
Trott,  Bumstead  &  Sons,  and  some  eight  or  ten 
others,  fitted  out  the  ship  Sachem^  Captain  Gyze- 
laar,  of  which  Mr.  Gale  was  supercargo  and  part 
owner,  —  thus  beginning  the  first  direct  trade 
between  California  and  Boston.  The  ship  sailed 
from  Boston,  with  a  cargo  of  assorted  merchandise, 
in  January,  1833.  The  trade  was  continued  suc- 
cessfully by  Messrs.  Bryant,  Sturgis  &  Co.,  until 
near  the  breaking  out  of  the  Mexican  war.  The 
knowledge  obtained  through  this  traffic  in  a  great 
measure  led  to  the  acquisition  of  California,  at  the 
close  of  the  war,  by  our  Government,  at  a  cost  of 
fifteen  millions  of  dollars  in  gold,  —  money  well 
spent.  Right  on  the  heels  of  this  came  the  dis- 
covery of  the  abundance  of  gold  on  its  soil,  and 
the  immediate  emigration  consequent  thereon,  pro- 
ducing an  extension  of  civilization  unprecedented 
in  the  history  of  the  world,  and  a  marvel  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  to  be  ranked  with  the  invention 
of  steam  and  telegraphic  machinery. 

Mr.  Gale  returned  from  his  last  voyage  in  1835, 
but  continued  his  interest  in  the  trade  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  Boston  in  1841.     Captain 


OTHER  PIONEERS. 


243 


St,  the 
n,  and 
est  and 
are  en- 

3  favor- 
a  trade 
f  enter- 
Sturgis, 
or  ten 
n  Gyze- 
ind  part 
::t   trade 
ip  sailed 
;handise, 
.ued  suc- 
:;6.,  until 
■XX.     The 
a  great 
,  at  the 
cost  of 
ney  well 
the  dis- 
soil,  and 
eon,  pro- 
cedented 
el  of  the 
invention 

f 

in  1835, 

until  his 

Captain 


Gyzelaar  was  drowned  in  the  attempt  to  cross  a 
river  at  Bodega,  in  March,  1825. 

Mr.  Gale  was  succeeded  by  Alfred  Robinson, 
Esq.,  who  was  interested  with  Bryant,  Sturgis  & 
Co.,  and  managed  their  business  on  the  coast  as 
long  as  they  continued  in  it.  Mr.  Robinson  early 
identified  his  interests  with  those  of  California,  by 
marrying  one  of  its  fairest  daughters,  Senorita 
Anita  Noriega,  daughter  of  Don  Jose  Noriega  de 
la  Guerra,  an  old  Biscayan,  one  of  the  best  of  the 
old  Californians.  On  the  first  of  the  California 
steamers  Mr.  Robinson  returned  to  the  country 
after  a  few  years'  absence,  and  was  the  first  agent 
of  the  company  in  San  Ej*ancisco. 

In  connection  with  the  above,  it  is  proper  to  state 
that  B.  T.  Read,  Esq.,  and  others,  were  in  the  trade 
for  some  years  previous  to  the  Mexican  war.  Jo- 
seph B.  Eaton,  Esq.,  also  had  two  ships  trading  on 
the  coast  during  the  war.  These  two  vessels,  with 
their  boats  and  crews,  by  cooperation  with  Fremont 
and  Stockton,  rendered  important  assistance,  and 
so  contributed  somewhat  to  our  acquisition  of  the 
country.  *< 

Thomas  O.  Larkin,  and  the  lady  who  became  his 
wife,  arrived  at  Santa  Barbara  in  a  shio  from  Bos- 
ton,  in  1833,  —  Mrs.  Larkin  (then  Mrs.  Holmes) 
being  the  first  American  lady  to  arrive  at  Califor- 
nia. Their  first  child  was  also  the  first  born  in 
California  of  American  parents.  Mr.  Larkin  be- 
came established  in  business  at  Monterey,  where  he 
resided  for  many  years.  He  held  various  offices, 
and  was  a  very  useful  man  to  the  California  and 


' 


!lii 


1  f 


V II 


Ml 


ifliiii 


1)1  I!  i 


llili: 


II  S!  I 


i 


!  I: 


244 


FOJiB  AND  AFT. 


United  States  Governments.  He  held  the  office 
of  United  States  Consul  previous  to  the  Mexican 
War,  and  afterwards  that  of  Navy  Agent.  He  was 
also  sent  to  Mexico  by  the  California  Government, 
as  their  co.mmissioner,  to  negotiate  in  their  behalf. 
Captain  John  Cooper  (a  step-brother  of  Larkin's) 
was  an  early  resident  in  Monterey,  and  an  old  trader 
between  California  and  Canton.  He  married  a  sis- 
ter of  General  Vallego,  and  owned  a  fine  farm  at 
Petaluma,  and  a  house  at  Monterey.  He  could  not 
relinquish  the  sea  altogether,  and  was  placed  by 
the  Government  in  command  of  their  Navy,  which 
consisted  of  an  old  schooner  named  the  California^ 
on  which  the  Commodore  hoisted  his  pennant  when 
ordered  to  perform  any  naval  duty.  The  old  gen- 
tleman is  still  living,  and  long  may  he  survive ! 
As  he  is  a  rather  original  character,  1  may  as  well 
revive  some  amusing  incidents  respecting  him.  A 
seaman  of  the  old  school,  he  despised  a  long-tail  coat, 
and  would  not  discard  a  sailor's  jacket.  Known 
throughout  California  for  his  integrity  and  good  na- 
ture, his  honest  countenance  was  always  welcomed 
wherever  it  appeared.  That  slouched  white  hat, 
blue  short  jacket,  gray  satinet  pants  and  cowhide 
shoes,  constituted  his  every-day  dress  at  all  seasons, 
from  year  to  year,  and  his  uniform  on  all  occasions. 
"  Methinks  I  see  him  now,"  as  he  one  morning  was 
called  out  of  his  house  to  see  the  Stars  and  Stripes 
waving  at  the  masthead  of  his  flag-ship.  Com- 
modore Jones,  with  his  squadron,  had  arrived  the 
previous  evening,  and  early  next  morning  took  pos- 
session of  the  fort,  town,  and  government  property, 


COMMODORE  COOPER. 


245 


office 
Mexican 
'ie  was 
nment, 
3ehalf. 
Lvkiii's) 
1  trader 
;d  a  sis- 
farm  at 
>uld  not 
iced  by 
,  which 
ifornia^ 
nt  when 
old  gen- 
survive  ! 
as  well 
lim.     A 
tail  coat, 
Known 
good  na- 
elcomed 
lite  hat, 
cowhide 
seasons, 
ccasions. 
ning  was 
\  Stripes 
Coni- 
ived  the 
:ook  pos- 
property, 


including  Cooper's  schooner.  On  hearing  the  news 
he  rushed  out  of  doors,  and  beholding  the  change, 
scratched  his  left  elbow  with  his  right  hand,  which 
operation  was  always  indicative  of  unusual  and  im- 
mense excitement.  His  neighbors,  anticipating 
some  extraordinary  outburst  of  passion,  awaited 
the  explosion  ;  but,  looking  for  a  few  minutes  at 
the  old  flag  which  he  had  sailed  under  so  long  in 
former  years,  and  which  still  looked  so  glorious, 
his  old  love  for  it  came  back,  so  that  his  only  sor- 
row was  expressed  in  another  scratch  at  his  elbow, 
and,  "  Well,  I  wouldn't  care  a  snap  for  the  loss  of 
the  old  schooner,  if  I  had  only  got  a  well-rope  out 
of  her  first."  He  had  been  digging  a  well,  and  a 
rope  for  the  bucket  was  needed. 

Once  Captain  Cooper  was  ordered  to  get  his  ves- 
sel ready  with  all  possible  despatch,  to  take  Com- 
missioner Larkin  down  to  Acapulco,  and  await  his 
return  from  the  city  of  Mexico ;  and,  as  illustrating 
what  was  meant  by  "  despatch  in  getting  ready," 
the  California  naval  department  issued  an  order  for 
the  vessel  to  proceed  to  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco, 
and  there  provision  the  vessel  for  the  voyage.  Ac- 
cordingly, in  about  three  weeks  the  vessel  arrived 
at  the  bay,  with  an  order  on  the  mission  of  Saint 
Rafael  for  so  many  fanegas  of  wheat ;  another  on 
the  mission  of  San  Jose  for  a  certain  number  of 
hogs  ;  "  Santa  Clara"  must  furnish  all  the  bullocks, 
while  "  Dolores  "  contributed  "  frigoles,"  beans, 
and  other  vegetables.  All  these  things  had  to  be 
collected  together  at  Yerba  Buena ;  there  the  wheat 
was  to  be  made  into  bread,  the  bullocks  into  salt 


"ii- 


I 


'^t 


ill 


H 


|Li»4li. 


: 


"J! 


iiiiii! 


246 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


beef,  and  the  pork  prepared  for  ship's  use.  One 
launch  was  borrowed  from  one  ship  to  bring  down 
the  wheat,  another  would  be  loaned  him  by  some 
other  friendly  captain  to  bring  the  beef,  and  the 
live  hogs  were  to  be  dressed  near  the  vessel. 

In  about  three  weeks  most  of  these  supplies  would 
arrive  at  the  port,  with  a  gang  of  Indians  to  assist  dur- 
ing the  process  of  preparation  ;  the  salt,  vinegar,  pep- 
per, and  barrels  necessary  wo  ".Id  be  bought,  begged, 
or  borrowed  from  our  ships.  Jack  Fuller,  a  runaway 
steward  from  an  English  whaleship,  and  living  in 
Yerba  Buena,  was  a  good  cook  ;  to  him  was  confided 
the  putting  down  of  the  pork,  making  sausages,  etc., 
while  the  Commodore  was  olF  with  a  gang  of 
"  bummers,"  making  requisitions  on  the  missions. 
In  his  haste  to  get  ready  for  the  "  beare;'  of  des- 
patches," the  Commodore  met  with  sundry  mis- 
haps. One  was  in  consequence  of  inviting  his 
friends,  during  his  absence,  to  call  at  Jack  Fuller's 
and  taste  his  sausages ;  they  did  so,  and  the  taste 
suited  so  well  that  Jack  urgently  requested  the  com- 
pany to  call  again,  as  he  could  still  improve  on  the 
seasoning.  This  invitation  was  also  accepted  for 
the  next,  and  in  fact  every  day  until  sausages  were 
no  more.  The  friends,  by  way  of  compensation, 
furnished  a  vessel,  and  all  the  material  except  the 
pork,  and  Jack  prepared  a  fine  barrel  of  souse  for 
the  cabin  use  of  the  swift-winged  bearers  of  des- 
patches. This  was  very  toothsome,  the  Commo- 
dore informed  us,  but  we  were  not  invited  to  a 
taste,  and  "J.  F."  was  ordered  to  admit  no  person 
within  his  doors  while   he  went  to  order  up   hia 


One 

down 
f  some 
nd  the 

i  would 
iistdur- 
Lir,  pep- 
jegged, 
Linaway 
ving  in 
:onfided 
es,  etc., 
ang    of 
nissions. 
of  des- 
\vy  n;iis- 
Ling    his 
Fuller's 
he   taste 
the  com- 
c  Oil  the 
sptcd  for 
nres  were 
LMisation, 
ccpt  the 
bouse  for 
s  of  des- 
Commo- 
itcd  to  a 
\o  person 
jr  up  his 


SOUSED  ,yOUSE. 


247 


boat's  crew  to  take  the  barrel  ot)  board,  and  so  fear- 
ful was  he  that  his  tormenting  friends  had  designs 
against  it,  that,  for  greater  safety,  he  escorted  the 
Kanakas  who  carried  it  to  the  boat,  and  accompanied 
it  to  the  vessel.  Once  alongside,  he  shouted  defi- 
ance :  "  You  don't  taste  this,  not  a  bit  of  it ;  this  is 
all  for  my  tooth  "  ;  but  alas  for  him  !  the  old  proverb 
of  "  many  a  slip,"  etc.,  interposed.  In  lifting 
the  barrel  from  the  boat  to  the  vessel,  the  boat  was 
pushed  off  from  the  side  by  accident,  and  the  pack- 
age, which  was  open  on  top,  fell  overboard  and  went 
to  the  bottom.  This  misfortune  was  too  much  for 
poor  human  nature  meekly  to  bear  in  silence,  but 
he  found  consolation  in  an  extra  scratch,  and  a 
hearty  laugh  "  in  thinking  how  Larkin  would  be 
disappointed."  However,  when  the  vessel  was 
ready  to  leave  the  bay,  all  the  above  losses  were 
amply  made  up  to  the  kind  old  man,  by  his  friends 
of  the  two  Boston  ships  in  port.  In  about  three 
months  from  the  receipt  of  the  order  to  "  get  ready 
and  sail  with  all  possible  despatch,"  Mr.  Larkin 
left  Monterey.  This  was  really  then  considered  by 
the  authorities  as  "  pushing  things." 

But  we  will  follow  our  friends  to  Mexico,  and 
note  some  of  their  proceedings  while  there.  Ar- 
riving at  Acapulco,  Mr.  Larkin  invited  Commodore 
Cooper  to  accompany  him  to  the  capital.  As  he 
would  have  to  wait  his  return  if  he  did  not  go,  he 
concluded  to  go.  When  they  were  in  the  city,  Mr. 
Larkin  and  Cooper  waited  upon  General  Waddy 
Thompson,  then  the  United  States  Minister  to  Mex- 
ico.    The  Commissioner  introduced  his  "  Brother 


1 

if 


II 


■M; 


B   '1 


M 


I  i 


.Ill 

I!, 
Ill 


W 
i 

li:' 
ill 

II 
''I 

'i 
If 


!:'■' 


lit 


248 


FO/iB  AND  AFT. 


John  "  as  "  Commander  of  the  California  Navy  "  ; 
an  invitation  to  dinner  followed.  Larkin  and 
brother  John  accepted,  —  the  latter,  of  course,  went 
in  his  full  uniform.  The  conversation  during  din- 
ner led  to  t'  e  d"  xussion  of  wines,  practically  and 
.'leoretically.  The  General,  who  prided  himself  on 
always  having  the  very  best,  and  of  the  mosi  re- 
nowned vintages,  said  that  he  was  the  possessor  of 
a  few  bottles  of  a  very  superior  quality,  which  he 
obtained  with  great  difficulty,  and  at  a  great  price, 
from  a  high  official,  who  vouched  for  its  richness 
and  great  antiquity.  "It  is  wine,  gentlemen,  that 
I  only  allow  to  be  brought  to  the  table  on  special 
occasions,  such  as  the  present,  and  then  only  to  l>e 
looked  at."  The  guests  desiring  to  see  the  curiosity, 
a  bottle  was  produced,  antique  in  form,  and  con- 
taining a  dark  liquid.  Mr.  Larkin  expressed  his 
doubts  of  the  great  age  claimed  for  it,  and  thougl.t 
some  of  liis  old  Calitlarnia  was  equal  to  it.  "  My 
dear  sir,"  exclaimed  the  General,  "you  are  mis- 
taken: tb^ere  is  not  a  bottle  of  such  wiae  in  any 
other  city  of  the  world  ;  a  oingle  smell  of  it  would 
convince  you."  "  I  would  like  to  be  convinced," 
said  the  Commodore.  The  ancient  seal  was  broken 
and  the  bottle  opened.  General  Waddy  Thompson 
poured  out  the  least  possible  number  of  drops  In 
his  glass,  and  passed  tlie  bottle  to  Mr.  Larkin  to  do 
the  same.  *'  There,  gentlemen,  smell  of  that ; 
what  do  you  think  of  it?  "  "  It  smells  good,"  was 
the  reply  of  the  Commissioner.  "Just  apply  the 
end  of  your  tongue  to  the  fluid, —  it  is  not  to  drink, 
remember.     J.  sometimes  allow  distinguished  guests 


WINE   OF  THE  MONTE ZUMAS, 


H9 


ibe  privilege  of  sipping  a  drop,  as  I  now  do  you." 
Mr.  l^arkin  had  helped  brother  John  after  the  man- 
ner of  vhe  Minister.  "  How  does  it  taste,  Mr.  Com- 
modore ?  ",  The  few  drops  had  disappeared  without 
attracting  his  notice.  "  Pass  me  the  bottle,  Tom." 
It  was  passed,  with  many  winks  from  Mr.  Larkin 
to  abstain,  but  they  were  unheeded.  Filling  his 
glass  and  emptying  it  at  the  same  moment,  to  the 
consternation  of  Waddy  Thompson,  the  Commo- 
dore exclaimed,  "  Good,  but  I  think  I  have  drank  as 
good  from  my  ranche.*'  It  was  in  vain  urged  by 
the  host  that  that  wine  was  only  to  be  looked  at,  — 
a  single  glass  of  it  was  priceless,  —  it  descended 
from  the  Montezumas.  *'  Mr.  Minister,"  said  the 
Commodore,  '^'  if  you  put  that  wine  on  the  table  to 
be  looked  at,  all  I  have  to  say  is,  that  you  have 
made  a  mistake  this  time.  Tom,  pass  the  bottle." 
The  old  Commodore  will  not  hear  the  last  of  the 
*'  Montezumian  wine  "  as  long  as  he  lives. 


It;; 


m 


250 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


CHAPTER    XXII. 


CALIFORNIA   IN    184O. 

MONTEREY,  in  1840,  was  the  seat  of  Govern- 
Ticnt,  and  the  only  port  of  entry  on  the  coast. 
All  ships  intending  to  trade  on  the  coast  came  there 
to  make  the  best  bargain  they  could  with  the  au- 
thorities respecting  the  duties  on  goods,  gave 
security  for  the  payment  of  the  same,  and  received 
permission  to  trade  at  all  the  ports  until  the  voyage 
was  completed.  The  duties  on  an  invoice  of  cargo 
averaged  about  one  hundred  per  cent.,  payable  one- 
half  in  cash,  and  the  other  in  "  esquilinos,"  hides 
and  tallow,  or  goods  from  the  ship.  There  was 
scarcely  any  money  in  the  country  at  that  time. 
Bryant,  Sturgis  &  Co.  not  only  furnished  most  of 
the  goods  used  in  California,  but  also  most  of  the 
coin  for  the  payment  of  the  salaries  of  the  revenue 
and  military  officers,  which  payments  were  contin- 
gent on  the  arrival  of  the  next  ship,  —  the  duties  on 
a  cargo  always  being  anticipated  by  Custom  House 
orders  on  such  ship  for  their  pay,  in  goods  and 
cash  in  equal  proportion.  What  a  contrast  be- 
tween then  and  now  !  Then  gold  and  silver  were 
scarce  commodities;  now  the  precious  metals  of 
California  not  only  abound  there,  but  find  their  way 
to  every  commercial  city  in  the  world. 


A   MOMENTOUS    'IF." 


251 


overn- 
coast. 
2  there 
he  aii- 
,    giive 
jceivcd 
voyage 
if  cargo 
)le  one- 
"  hides 
:re  was 
it  time, 
nost  of 

of  the 
revenue 

contin- 
uties  on 
[1  House 
3ds  and 
rast  be- 
rer  were 
ctals  of 
heir  way 


It  is  well  known  that  the  great  powers  of  Europe 
have,  for  many  years,  sought  every  possible  oppor- 
tunity of  getting  a  foothold  in  California,  and  sev- 
eral times  have  nearly  reached  success.     One  of 
these  approximations  was  in  1840.     On  our  arrival 
at  Monterey  we  found  at  the  port  the  United  States 
ship  Saint  Louls^  Captain  French  Forrest,  and  a 
French    corvette.      They   were    investigating    the 
doings   of  the  Mexican  authorities,   who   had   ac- 
cused the  foreign  residents  of  conspiring  to  over- 
throw   the    government,    and,  without   a    trial    or 
hearing  of  any  kind,  had  sent  about  forty  of  them 
to  Acapulco,  in   irons.     The  news  of  the  outrage 
reached   Saint  Bias,  where  the  ships  of  war  were 
lying.     They    immediately  got   under-weigh,   and 
came  to  Alontercy  to  look  into  the  matter.     The  in- 
dividuals so  unjustly  sent  away  were  mostly  Amer- 
icans ;    some    were   taken   from    their   families    in 
different  parts  of  the  country,  and  treated  with  much 
cruelty.     The  American  commander  was  only  au- 
thorized to  take  depositions  and  forward  them  to 
his   government.     Tlie    Frenchman,    clothed   with 
power  and  authority  to  obtain  immediate  redress, 
was  much  disappointed  in   not  finding  one  of  his 
own  countrymen  on  the  list  of  those  sent  away ; 
had  there  been  a  single  one  claiming  the  protection 
of  France,  perhaps  the  flag  of  that  nation,  instead  of 
the  Stars  and  Stripes,  might  now  be  floating  over 
California.     The   Frenchman,   with  his  broadside 
swung  on  the  town,  was  only  waiting  for  an  excuse 
to  open  his  battery  ;  but  finding  none,  his  officers  en- 
joyed themselves  hugely,  for  a  few  days,  in  giving 


I, 


253 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


S3  ^  :■■■" 


and  attending  parties,  which  was  much  more 
agreeable  to  the  people  of  Monterey  than  to  have 
their  houses  battered  down.  While  our  officers, 
from  the  force  of  circumstances,  were  obliged  to 
manifest  a  coldness  towards  the  natives  which  they 
did  not  feel,  the  Frenchmen  were  on  the  best  of 
terms  with  them,  and  were  especial  favorites  with  the 
fair  sex.  One  morning,  at  the  Old  Presidio  Church, 
during  some  particular  service  to  the  Virgin,  which 
called  for  the  attendance  of  all  the  virgins  of  Monte- 
rev,  the  French  officers  were  there  also,  and  so 
marked  wer:  their  attentions  to  the  fair  devotees, 
that  the  officiating  priest  ordered  the  strangers  to 
leave,  saying  that  "  they  only  came  there  to  coquet 
with  the  girls."  Hereupon  arose  a  tumult.  The 
virgin  ilevotees  exclaimed,  ''  Let  them  stay  ;  they 
are  as  good  Christians  as  we  are  "  ;  and  the  padre 
had  to  submit. 

The  trading  ships,  aftsr  entering  their  cargoes 
and  supplying  the  wants  of  Monterey,  usually 
proceeded  to  San  Francisco,  where,  mooring  off 
Yerba  Buena  Cove,  they  despatched  boats  to  various 
points  of  the  bay  to  bring  the  Rancheros  and  their 
families  to  the  ship.  Goods  were  sold  on  a  year's 
credit,  to  be  paid  for  in  hides  and  tallow. 

In  1841,  Yerba  Buena  was  in  an  almost  uninhab- 
ited condition.  In  the  early  part  of  that  year  there 
were  but  four  permanent  residents  there,  — J.  V. 
Leese,  Nathan  Spear,  John  Davis,  and  Jack  Fuller. 
Seated  on  the  top  of  Telegraph  Hill,  with  the  whole 
expanse  of  the  broad  bay  spread  before  him,  one 
might  look  in  the  direction  from  Sansitio  to  Angel 


THIRTT  TEARS  AGO. 


253 


off 


Island,  across  the  Bay  of  San  Pablo  to  the  Contra 
Coast,  and  away  south  towards  San  Jose  and  Santa 
Clara,  without  seeing  a  single  sail  of  ship,  boat,  or 
any  otlier  craft  moving  over  its  waters,  —  the  only 
signs  of  humanity  being  confined  to  the  few 
dwellers  at  the  cove.  Perhaps,  on  another  day, 
from  tlie  same  place  of  observation,  might  be  seen 
a  solitary  ship  at  anchor,  seeking  for  hides ;  or  above 
Angel  Island  an  old  launch  at  anchor,  two  days  out 
from  Yerba  Buena,  bound  to  Sansitio,  where  lived 
Captain  Richardson,  the  Port  Captain  of  a  port  then 
without  ships,  but  where  it  was  hoped  they  might 
come  hereafter.  He  was  also  the  owner  of  all  the 
navigation  belonging  in  the  bay,  consisting  of  two 
old  launches.  Perhaps  once  a  month  he  would 
cross  the  bay  in  one  of  then"i,  rigged  with  a  tem- 
porary mast  and  piece  of  old  canvas  for  a  sail, 
the  crew  consisting  of  himself  and  two  Indians. 
Dropping  down  with  the  last  ebb,  he  calculated  on 
taking  the  flood  tide  in  the  vicinity  of  Alcatras 
Island,  and,  as  it  swept  him  far  up  the  bay,  he  would 
endeavor  to  make  northing  enough  to  get  through 
Angel  Island  Straits  when  a  favorable  opportunity 
oflercd,  which  lie  would  wait  for  at  anchor. 

As  showing  the  condition  of  the  region  round 
about  the  cove,  1  may  also  state  that  Mr.  Lecse 
came  on  board  the  ship  one  morning  to  breakfast, 
and  told  us  that  the  evening  previous  an  Indian 
boy,  eight  years  old,  was  taken  away  fixsm  his  yard 
by  a  panther,  wiiich  had  been  seen  prowling  around 
tlie  settlement  for  some  days  previous.  Mr.  Lease's 
house  stood  where  the  corner  of  Dupont  and  Clay 


j  ri 


254 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


\\r 


Streets  now  is.     The  boy  was  not  seen  afterwards. 
Again,  during  the  same  same  year,  the  second  olli- 
cer,  with  a  gang  of  men,  was  sent  on  shore  from 
my  ship  to   cut    firewood  on   Rincon  Point.     At 
noon  they  went  towards  a  tree  where  tliey  liad  left 
a  lirlvin   containing  their  dinner,  and   found   a   she 
"grizzly"   and   her  cub,  with    the  firkin   between 
them,  discussing  its  contents.     Tlie  wooding  party 
made  for  the  shore  as  fast  as  possible,  and  hailed  to 
be  taken  ofi'.     This  was  repeated  a  few  days  after, 
when,  with  a  party  well  armed,  we  went  on  shore 
to  hunt  the  beasts.     We  trackcc'    he  creatures  to 
where  they  took  the  water  at  Mission  Creek,  and 
heard  no  more  of  them. 

Up  to  Jidy  27t!i  of  the  same  year,  the  river  Sac- 
ramento had  never  been  ascended  by  a  ship's  boat. 
The  Bay  of  San  Francisco  was  well  surveyed  by 
Beechy,  but  no  survey  was  known  to  have  been 
made  of  the  waters  above  the  Bav  of  San  Pablo. 
On  the  day  of  the  above  date,  I  left  the  ship  with 
the  cutter  and  six  men,  well  armed  and  equipped, 
for  the  purpose  of  visiting  Captain  Sutter,  who  had 
begun  a  settlement  about  a  hundred  miles  above 
the  bay.  I  had  previously  formed  an  acquaintance 
with  this  gentleman,  and,  from  his  glowing  ac- 
count of  the  beauty  of  the  country  in  that  re- 
gion, and  his  assurance  that  a  keel  boat  had  not 
disturbed  the  waters  of  the  Rio  El  Sacramento,  I 
felt  very  desirous  to  be  the  first  visitor  there  from 
the  sea.  For  three  months  previous,  the  Captain 
and  supercargoes  of  the  two  ships  who  were  to  an- 
chor at  the  bay,  and  to  whom  I  proposed  the  expe- 


UP  THE  SACRAMENTO. 


255 


^rards. 
a  offi- 
;  from 
t.     At 
m\  left 
a   she 
ctvvecn 
S  party 
ailed  to 
s  after, 
11  shore 
til  res  to 
:ek,  and 

v'cr  Sac- 
p's  boat, 
eyed  by 
ve  been 
1  Pablo, 
hip  with 
quipped, 
who  had 
es  above 
aintancc 
ving    ac- 
that   re- 
had  not 
niento,  I 
ere   from 
Captain 
>re  to  :i ti- 
the expe- 


dition, were  very  eager  to  join  in  it,  but  when  the 
time  came  to  move  in  the  matter,  they  could  not 
go,  and  made  many  excuses.  "  It  was  a  bad  season 
of  the  year,  the  river  was  low  and  the  weather  hot, 
mosquitoes  ravenous,  bears  were  numerous,  and 
the  Indians  cannibals."  I  had  made  my  prepara- 
tions, and  I  went  without  them.  The  remarks  that 
follow  are  extracts  taken  from  my  log-book  which 
I  kept  at  the  time. 

Leaving  the  ship  at  noon,  we  crossed  the  pas- 
sage with  a  strong  breeze  in  our  favor.  We  passed 
through  the  Bay  of  San  Pablo,  the  Straits  of  Car- 
quines,  and  ran  across  the  Bay  of  Sia  Suni.  We 
entered  the  Sacramento  just  after  sundown,  passing 
the  outlet  of  the  San  Joaquin  about  a  mile  inside  of 
the  mouth  of  the  Sacramento.  The  courses  by  com- 
pass and  the  soundings  had  been  observed  and  noted 
(which  I  omit  here).  There  was  water  enough  for  a 
frigate  to  pass  through  the  Straits,  but  there  were 
shoal  spots  between  that  and  the  river.  With  a 
strong,  fair  wind,  and  a  bright  moon,  we  kept  on 
until  the  low  "  Tule,"  or  Hag  bottoms,  were  passed  ; 
reaching  the  high  wooded  banks,  we  encamped  for 
the  night  under  a  large  sycamore,  where  we  built 
a  fire  and  made  cotlce.  After  a  hearty  supper  we 
spread  our  blankets,  and,  regardless  of  who  might 
be  our  neighbors,  slept  soundly  until  daylight. 
After  breakfast  we  started  again.  The  camp  we  left 
I  judged  to  be  about  ninety-live  miles  from  the  ship. 
We  had  scarcely  pushed  otV  from  the  bank  when 
we  observed  a  good-sized  panther  smelling  around 
the  spot  where  we  breakfasted.     I  gave  him  a  part- 


'  1 


256 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


ing  shot,  when  he  moved  off,  perhaps  hit,  perhaps 
not.  The  greater  part  of  this  day  wa§  passed  in 
sailing  and  rowing  against  a  strong  tide  ;  the  heat 
was  so  intense  that  we  had  to  stop  occasionally  un- 
der the  wide-spreading  shade  of  some  lofty  syca- 
more. We  lay  by  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  and  thus 
made  but  little  progress.  We  saw  several  deer  on 
the  banks,  but  they  were  out  of  reach,  and  many 
otter  in  the  wver,  of  which  I  obtained  one.  Passing 
over  a  somewhat  lengthy  description  of  the  beau- 
tiful scenery  around  us,  I  resume  the  narrative  to 
say  that  the  next  day,  at  1 1  a.  m.,  we  arrived  at  a 
rancherie  of  Indians  belonging  to  a  tribe  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  Captain  Sutter.  There  were  about 
thirty  of  them  stationed  here,  to  catch  and  cure 
fish  for  the  Captain's  establishment.  The  place 
was  afterwards  called  the  "  Russian  Embarcadero"  ; 
it  was  about  fifteen  miles  from  Sutter's  by  the  river, 
but  less  than  half  that  distance  by  land. 

The  heat  being  quite  oppressive,  I  concluded  to 
rest  here  in  the  shade,  and  send  a  note  across  to 
Captain  Sutter,  requesting  that  a  horse  be  sent  to 
me.  One  of  the  Indians  understood  a  little  Span- 
ish, and  I  had  no  trouble  in  making'my  wishes  un- 
derstood by  the  old  chief,  who  sent  one  of  his  fleet 
rvmners  with  my  note.  In  about  three  hours  the 
Major-domo  of  Captain  Sutter  arrived,  bringing  a 
fine  saddle-horse  for  me,  and  I  rode  with  my  guide 
over  a  beautiful  and  rich  tract  of  country,  abounding 
with  flowers,  shrubbery  and  forest.  Coming  in 
sight  of  the  fort,  I  was  unexpectedly  received  by  a 
military  salute  ot  cannon,  and  a   gay  display  of 


yOHN  SINCLAIR. 


257 


rhaps 
2d  in 
;  heat 
[y  un- 

syca- 
1  thus 
jer  oil 

many 
assing 

beaii- 
;ive  to 
d  at  a 
ler  the 
;  about 
d  cure 
place 
dero"; 
e  river, 

ided  to 
:ross  to 
sent  to 
J  Span- 
hes  un- 
lis  fleet 
urs  the 
iging  a 
lY  guide 
aunding 
ning   in 
ed  by  a 
play  of 


flags.  I  received  a  most  cordial  welcome,  and  was 
soon  seated  at  dinner,  which  consisted  mostly  of 
venison  cooked  in  various  ways.  Captain  Sutter 
is  now  too  well  known  to  need  here  a  repetition  of 
his  history,  which  I  had  from  himself,  twenty-eight 
years  ago.  His  name  and  fame  as  one  of  the  bold- 
est pioneers,  and  his  connection  with  the  discovery 
of  gold,  inseparably  link  his  history  with  that  of 
California. 

.Vbout  three  miles  from  Sutter's  Fort,  on  the 
right  bank  of  the  American  Fork,  resided  Jjahn  Sin- 
clair, who  planted  himself  here  shortly  after  Cap- 
tain Sutter  made  a  beginning.  Sinclair  was  an 
intelligent  Scotchman  of  considerable  education, 
hardy  and  enterprising ;  he  had  been  some  years  in 
the  employ  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  but  pos- 
sessed too  much  spirit  and  independence  to  remain 
subject  to  the  arbitrary  requirements  of  that  service. 
He  left  it  and  went  to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and 
for  some  time  edited  a  newspaper  there,  but  his  old 
habits  of  hunting  and  trapping  were  too  strong  to 
be  overcome,  and  he  emigrated  to  California.  In 
connection  with  his  neighbor,  Captain  Sutter,  he 
managed  to  control  a  number  of  Indian  tribes, 
among  whom  they  found  abundant  help  in  culti- 
vating their  wheat-fields  and  managing  cattle. 
These  two  men,  'it  the  time  of  my  first  visit,  were 
the  only  ones  in  that  region  who  had  "  a  habitation 
and  a  name." 

I  spent  a  week  in  exploring  the  river  above  New 
Helvetia,  as  the  settlement  was  called,  enjoyed  a 
successful   elk   hunt  with   my  host,  and  returned 
»7 


vS 


.^  I 


i' 


111! 


f 


11 


IF  1^ 

1^1' ""'' 

I  i  w  ',- 

9   ',  M     "> 

Hi: 

!!  1 

ffia  '■'  1  ' 

1 

II' 

i  1 

258 


FO/iE  AND  AFT. 


down  the  river  much  gratillcd  with  my  visit.  My 
good' friends,  Captain  Sutter  and  Mr.  Sinchiir,  had 
collected  a  great  many  beautiful  articles  of  Indian 
manufacture,  such  as  fnic  woven  ornamental  bas- 
kets, feather  blankets,  bows,  arrows,  etc.,  which 
they  kindly  forced  me  to  accept ;  as  I  was  their  lirst 
visitor  from  the  sea,  they  said  I  was  entitled  to' them. 
Dropping  down  the  river  at  night,  with  a  bright 
moon  and  a  cloudless  sky,  the  scene  was  indeed 
lovely.  It  was  quite  calm  ;  I  let  the  rowers  lay  on 
their  oars,  to  take  a  nap,  w  ie  the  current  was 
sweeping  us  along.  The  river  at  this  place  was 
broad  ;  on  either  side  were  spread  thick  primeval 
forests,  where  the  sound  of  the  axe  had  never  been 
heard  ;  the  lofty  sycamores  threw  their  broad  shade 
along  the  margin  of  the  silver  surface  of  the  beau- 
tiful  river;  but  all  was  silent,  save  the  chirping  of 
the  cricket,  and  the  gentle  rippling  of  the  eddies  as 
the  majestic  torrent  moved  in  solitary  grandeur  to 
mingle  with  the  sea.  I  saw  the  waters  run  and 
shoot  onward  like  the  course  of  destiny,  and  I 
thought  how  the  tide  of  time  sweeps  on  to  eternity. 
So  passes  man!  IIow  applicable  are  the  lines  of 
Bryant  to  this  solitude.  He  sang  of  its  sister  river, 
*'  Where  rolls  the  Oregon,  and  hears  no  sound  save 
his  own  dashings."  Here  the  waters  are  seldom 
disturbed  by  the  oar  or  whitened  by  a  sail;  the 
trapper  paddles  his  canoe  along  the  margin  to  en- 
trap the  beaver,  or,  monthly,  a  sail-boat  from  New 
Helvetia  drops  down  on  her  way  to  Yerba  Buena  ; 
all  else  is  silent.  We  reached  the  ship  on  the  third 
day. 


A   HISTORICAL  FACT. 


259 


My 

r,  had 
ndian 
1  bas- 
which 
ir  first 
'them, 
bright 
indeed 
hiy  on 
nt  was 
ce  was 
imcval 
Dr  been 
J  shade 
e  beau- 
:)ing  of 
Idies  as 
deur  to 
un  and 

and    I 

ternity. 

incs  of 

:r  river, 

nd  save 

seldom 
ail;  the 
in  to  en- 
)m  New 

Buena ; 
the  third 


And  iJiis  I  claim  to  have  been  the  jfifst  passage 
of  a  ship's  boat  on  that  river.,  and  the  first  time 
that  the  Stars  and  Stripes  tvaved  over  its  waters. 

The  United  States  ship  Mncennes.,  the  flag-ship 
of  the  South  Exploring  Expedition,  arrived  at  San 
Francisco  the  following  August,  in  charge  of  Cap- 
tain Ringgokl,  and  the  first  regular  survey  of  the 
river  war  begun  by  him  with  seven  boats  from  that 
ship,  August  30,  1841.  I  copy  from  the  Cali/or- 
nian.,  the  first  newspaper  printed  in  the  country, 
edited  and  published  by  Rev.  Walter  Colton,  Chap- 
lain of  the  frigate  Congress.,  and  Robert  Semple, 
who  came  to  California  as  docttjr  in  Fremont's 
Exploring  Expedition,  the  following  article  written 
by  Mr.  Colton,  under  date  of  Monterey,  February  6, 
1847  '  — 

"  The  Sacramento  Valley  is  now  fast  filling  up 
with  an  active  and  industrious  population.  Civili- 
zation, with  its  himianizing  blessings,  will  soon 
make  the  wilderness  blossom  like  the  rose,  and  the 
day  is  not  far  distant  when  the  lovely  banks  of  the 
Sacramento  will  be  dotted  with  fur  cities,  towns,  . 
and  villages,  resounding  with  the  h'lsy  hum  of  agri- 
culture, commerce,  and  manufactures.  The  broad 
bosom  of  its  waters,  which  has  for  ages  upon  ages 
been  undisturbed,  save  by  the  solitary  frail  rush 
canoe  of  the  Indians,  will  ere  long  be  whitened  by 
the  numerous  sails,  or  darkened  by  the  smoke  of 
adventurous  commerce.     In  after  years,  when  our 


children  are  reaping  the  bh 


''* 


li 


■  f 


Hi 


of 


peace   anc 


mgs 
prosperity  in  this  fair   region,  beneath  the  broad 


|i  r:i 


260 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


\k  1 


I  i  1:1 


folds  of  the  'Star-Spangled  Banner,'  should  some 
curious  person  ask,  Who  fh*st  displayed  tlie  glorious 
emblem  on  this  majestic  river?  for  the  edification 
of  such  we  would  inform  them  that  Captain  W. 
D.  Phelps,  of  the  good  ship  Alert.,  of  Boston, 
owned  by  Messrs.  Bryant,  Sturgis  &  Co.,  with  a 
boat  from  that  ship,  for  the  purpose  of  trade  and 
discovery,  was  the  first  one  to  ascend  the  river  with 
a  keel  boat,  and  first  to  exhibit  the  flag  of  our 
country  to  the  wondering  savages  of  these  solitudes." 


VV' 


THE   COMMODORE  JONES    WAR.       261 


CHAPTER     XXIII. 


Mi' 


THE   COMMODORE  JONES   WAR. 

OCTOBER  28th,  1842,  we  were  at  San  Diego, 
getting  the  ship  ready  to  load  for  home,  when 
I  received  a  note  trom  our  supercargo,  Mr.  Rob- 
inson, at  Santa  Barbara,  saying  that  war  was  de- 
clared between  Mexico  and  the  United  States ; 
that  Commodore  Jones,  with  two  ships,  had  taken 
Monterey  and  hoisted  the  American  flag  on  the 
fort,  without  any  fighting ;  that  General  Michel- 
tonena,  with  a  large  force,  had  left  Los  Angelos 
for  San  Diego,  to  seize  the  American  property 
there.  I  was  instructed  to  abandon  the  property  on 
shore  if  it  seemed  necessary  for  the  preservation  of 
the  ship,  but  to  use  my  own  judgment  in  the 
matter.  The  courier  who  brought  the  note,  said 
the  troops  would  be  upon  us  in  twenty-four  hours. 
We  had  over  thirty  thousand  hides  on  shore, 
which  we  had  been  thirty  months  in  collecting  and 
curing.  They  were  not  to  be  given  up  without  a 
struggle  ;  therefore,  while  a  part  of  the  crew  were 
getting  the  stores  on  board  from  the  hide-house, 
others  were  bending  sails,  and  getting  the  ship  in  u 
condition  to  leave  the  port  in  a  hurry,  when  we  could 
no  longer  remain.  The  ballast  was  all  out  of  the 
ship,  and  it  would  take  a  week  of  regular  work  to 


1 


ill 


ifi 


r"i33:i 


•'^i^."7trff!^   ^rrTr^y^rifTji-w,i.'\-Ay- 


262 


FORE  AND  APT. 


1 


get  her  rcndv  to  leave,  so  wc  adopted  the  only  meas- 
ures possible  for  defence. 

The  fort,  on  a  narrow  point  two  rnlles  below  us, 
must  be  passeil  within  a  stone's  throw  in  going  out. 
It  'vas  important  to  secure  that.     There  were  five 
beautiful  long  brass  cighteens  and  three  iron  twenty- 
foms  in  the  battery,  but  no  garrison;  therefore  to 
spike  tlie  guns,  pick  up  a  barrel  of  copper  shot 
that  would  fit  the  siiip'sgnnb,  and  throv/  all  the  rest 
overboard,  was  not  a  difficult  job.     The  only  road 
kadii:g  to  tiie  beach  was  by  a  liigli  bank  ;  tlie  ship 
^van  moored  with  a  view  to  command  this,  i^nd  all  the 
guns,  six  in  number,  placed  in  position.     The  next 
day  five  canoes  came  in  from  sea-otte.  hunting  ;  each 
one  contained  two  hunters,  Ajnericans,  who  could 
put  a  rifle  ball  through  an  otter's  head  at  a  liundred 
yards  while  the   boat  was  in    motion.     They  had 
four  thousand  dollars  worth  of  furs  from  their  hunt, 
which  1  invited  them  to  put  on  board  the  ship  and 
there  defend  them,— which   ofler  they  gladly  ac- 
cev^ted.     We  had  taken  on  board  nearly  half  of  the 
cargo,  by  working  night  and  d.ay,  and  were  still 
driving  at  ine  wck,  expecting  the  next  hour  to  be 
engaged  at  'he  guns,  when  anot!)cr  courier  arrived 
with  a  leUcr,  saying  that  Commodore  Jones  had 
made  a  mistake.     He  found  in  an    )ld  newspaper 
of  more  recent  date  than  he  had  seen  previous  to  his 
arrival,   that  war  had  not   been   declared ;    conse- 
quently he   rehoistcd  tlie  Mexican  flag  on  the  fort, 
and  vsaluted  it.     Our  courier  passed  Michcltonena 
fcud  his  vagabonds,  who  were  intending  to  pay  us  a 
visit,  within  tv.o  hours'  march  of  the  ship ;  they 


SEA-OTTER, 


263 


also  received  orders  whicli  turned  thim  back,  much 
to  the  regret  of  my  '•  boys  in  blue."  Tims  ended 
**  Tlic  Commodore  Jones  Wai." 

The  sea-oUer,  which  were  once  very  numerous 
on  the  coast  and  islands,  a.\'  nearly  exterminated. 
Scnor  Amador,  the  Major-domo  of  the  Mission  of 
San  Jose,  told  me  that,  with  three  or  four  Inilians, 
he  rode  to  Point  Saint  Qiiintcn,  on  the  Sanchez 
Ranchc,  near  San  Francisco,  in  1830,  and  cau<,dit, 
by  lassooing,  thirty  sea-otter  out  of  about  a  hundred 
which  were  on  the  shore.  Previous  to  1S46  there 
was  1*  small  community  of  these  animals  t*liat  had 
not  been  disturbed,  about  the  entrance  of  Sonoma 
Creek,  and  were  under  the  special  care  of  General 
Vallego,  who  would  not  allow  them  to  be  hunted  ; 
but,  in  the  above  year,  some  hunters  from  Santa 
Barbara  were  at  the  Bay,  and  not  having  the  fear 
of  the  General  before  their  eyes,  paddled  their 
light  canoes  to  the  spot,  and  shot  every  one  of 
them.  Thcv  obtained  fortvtwo  skins,  worth  sixtv 
dollars  apiece ;  after  which  "  slaughter  of  the  in- 
nocents "  I  never  heard  of  one  being  seen  in  the  Bay. 

In  former  years  the  sea-otter,  being  unmolested, 
came  on  shore  to  brinj:;  forth  their  young.  Being 
much  hunted,  they  abandoned  the  shores  altogether, 
and  took  refuge  in  the  thick,  tanj^led  masses  of  kelp 
which  abound  at  a  short  distance  from  the  land.  The 
hunters,  during  the  summer  season,  have  followed 
the  coast  in  pursuit  of  th'Mii.  During  the  forenoon, 
vyhen  it  is  calm,  they  soiretimes  find  the  animals 
basking  in  the  sun  on  the  kelp;  but  they  are  so 
watchful  that  it  is  difficult  ^o  approach  them  within 


1  • 


-  i. 


!     1 


111.. 


-._-.  **».      f 


264 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


shot,  —  the  usual  distance  at  which  they  shoot  being 
from  seventy-five  to  a  hundred  yards,  —  and  t'.'.en 
they  are  very  careful  to  put  a  ball  through  the  head, 
as  a  hole  through  the  body  would  spoil  the  sale  of 
the  skin.  With  the  canoe  in  motion  this  is  great 
shooting,  and  only  attained  by  much  practice  ;  yet 
they  tell  me  they  seldom  miss.  The  party  referred 
to  as  coming  on  board  with  their  hunt,  was  com- 
posed of  the  most  noted  canoe  luuiters  on  the  coast; 
they  had  hunted  from  vSanta  Barbara  to  a  hundred 
miles  south  of  San  Diego,  and  were  now  returning. 
Their  method  is  to  launch  their  canoes  in  the 
morning,  when  it  is  usually  calm,  and  the  water 
smooth,  and  hunt  until  a  breeze  springs  up  and  the 
water  becomes  rough.  They  then  land  at  the  near- 
est convenient  place,  haul  up  their  boats,  and  camp 
until  another  opportunity  oilers  to  put  out.  When 
in  camp  they  clean  and  dry  the  skins,  and  obtain 
provisions;  they  often  obtain  a  deer  or  other  game 
on  shore,  while  fish  abound  on  every  part  of  the 
coast  and  at  the  islands. 

Sea-otter  hunting  is  considered  a  perilous  busi- 
ness, as  the  boats  used  in  its  prosecution  are  necessa- 
rily quite  small.  The  hunters  meet  with  adventures 
of  a  thrilling  character  on  shore.  For  example,  one 
of  this  party  was  a  colored  man,  named  Stuart. 
He  was  a  man  of  great  strength,  and  a  good  shot. 
One  day  ihey  had  landed  as  usual,  towards  noon, 
hauled  their  boats  up,  made  a  fire,  and,  while 
preparing  their  dinner,  Stuart  started  olVwith  his 
rifle  to  look  up  a  deer.  He  iiad  been  absent  a  short 
time  when  his  companions   heard   him  shoot,  and 


FIGHT    WITH  A   GRIZZLT. 


265 


expected  soon  to  see  him  return  with  his  game  ;  but 
as  he  diil  not  make  his  appearance,  hite  in  the  day 
some  of  the  party  went  in  pursuit,  and  at  about 
half  a  mile  distant  from  tiic  camp  they  found  a 
large  grizzly  bear,  dead,  lying  on  his  side,  with 
Stuart  in  his  close  embrace,  bleeding,  and  too  weak 
to  extricate  liimself.  The  man  and  bear  were  sep- 
arated, and  the  former  taken  to  camp,  where,  when 
his  wounds  were  dressed,  and  when  sr-mcwhat  re- 
stored, he  told  his  story  as  follows :  He  had  shot  at 
and  wounded  a  deer,  which  limped  olV  into  a  thicket 
near  by.  He  knew  she  could  not  go  far,  and  laid 
down  his  rifle  to  follow  her.  Discovering  his  game 
in  a  thick  brush,  he  crowded  through  to  get  her, 
when  he  was  suddenly  confronted  by  Grizzly.  Be- 
fore he  had  time  to  reach  his  hunting-knife  from  the 
sheath  buckled  round  him,  he  found  himself  in  the 
embrace  of  the  bear.  The  bear  had  his  paws  over 
Stuar's  shoulders,  with  his  terrible  claws  deeply  in- 
serted in  his  flesh,  and  had  bitten  him  severely  on 
his  breast.  Stuart,  with  both  hands,  seized  the  bear 
by  the  throat,  and  endeavored  to  choke  him.  This 
operation  kept  Bruin  from  biting  again,  but  the 
ciaws  sa.ik  deeper,  and  the  blood  flowed  freely 
from  the  wounds.  Thus  far  it  was  a  stand-up  fight. 
Stuart  now  thought  to  release  one  of  his  hands  from 
the  throat  of  the  bear,  and  get  hold  of  his  knife,  but 
this  gave  his  antagonist  the  advantage,  and  he  was 
again  in  the  act  of  taking  another  bite,  vhcn  both 
hands  were  successfully  applied  to  the  choking  pro- 
cess, an^'i  the  co-Tibatants  fell  to  the  ground  closely 
locked  together.     Both    were  getting  weaker,  the 


\  M 


i  %  I 


■1; 


\\\ 


II: 


H  i 


• 


^6 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


one  bv  the  loss  of  blood  and  the  other  bv  chokinjr. 
Stuart  made  another  attempt  to  get  liis  knife,  but 
in  the  tussle  it  had  worked  behind  him,  so  that  at 
every  ellbrt  to  reach  it  the  bear  would  gain  an  ad- 
vantage. Therefore  his  only  chance  was  to  give 
the  animal  a  long  and  strong  grip  before  his  own 
loss  of  blood  should  cause  him  to  faint ;  the  grip 
was  maintained  until  the  bear  was  nearly  used  up, 
when  the  knife  was  reached,  and  Stuart's  remain- 
ing strength  was  exhausted  in  plunging  it  up  to  the 
handle  in  the  heart  of  the  beast.  Thus  the  bear 
was  dead,  and  the  man  had  fainted,  and  in  thii  con- 
dition they  were  found  ;  the  bear  with  his  claws  still 
in  Stuart's  back,  and  he,  havi..g  regained  conscious- 
ness, was  too  feeble  to  get  away  from  his  enemy, 
who  stuck  to  him  "  closer  than  a  brother." 

The  fuv-seal,  once  very  numerous  about  the  coast 
and  islands,  are  wholly  extinct.  Since  their  destruc- 
tion on  the  Farralones,  by  Mr.  Gale's  party,  these 
islands  have  abounded  with  hair-seal.  The  latter 
were  also  to  be  found  at  most  of  the  inlands  I  have 
visited  on  the  coast.  1  have  killed  manv  sea-cle* 
phants  on  tht  Coronadas,  and  at  the  islant.  ol  Santa 
Barbara,  or  their  oil,  but  1  never  saw  a  tur-scai  on 
shore  there. 

Some  of  these  islands  formerly  had  an  Indian 
population,  but  they  have  passed  away.  Tlie  «»nly 
history  (  could  find  of  niem  was  gleuncil  fiom  iho 
otter  hunters.  I  copy  ti»cir  account  from  my  journal 
written  at  San  Pedro,  m  1841  :  *'  In  1825  the  t-sland 
of  San  jN  icholas  was  the  only  one  of  the  gr<nip  wiiich 
had  not  l)«C(jme  depopulated  (how  they  became  so  \% 


THE    COAST  INDIANS. 


267 


not  known).  At  this  time  there  were  on  San  Nich- 
oh»s  thirty  Inchan  sTjen  ami  twcnty-tiircc  women. 
During  that  year  a  party  of  Russian  hunters  and 
Kociiaks,  ninnherinj:^  twenty-live  persons,  from  the 
Russian  territory  on  the  north-west,  were  left  there 
to  hunt  for  sea-otter  among  the  islands  along  the 
coast,  making  tliis  ihland  their  depot. 

'*  After  having  many  quarrels  with  th.e  Indians  re- 
specting the  women,  the  Russians  killed  all  the 
men  except  one,  who  escaped  batily  wountled,  and 
took  possession  of  the  women.  'I'he  Russians  lived 
with  theiu  about  a  year,  wnen  one  tlay,  when  their 
masters  were  drunk,  they  embraced  the  oppor- 
tunity to  gratify  the  revenge  which  may  sltmiber  in 
an  Indian's  bosom,  but  never  dies,  and  destroyed 
every  Russian  and  Kodiak  in  their  sleep.  Three 
years  ago  there  weic*  but  three  wt)men,  and  the  man 
who  escapeil  the  massacre,  living  on  the  island  " 

Ca|ltain  Robbins,  from  whom  I  have  this  account, 
culled  tliere  with  a  vessel,  and  pcrsuadeil  two  of  the 
females  to  leave  the  island  ami  go  to  the  main, 
where  they  were  kindly  provided  for.  The  other 
ran  away,  and  could  not  be  caught,  and  is  now  oc- 
casionally seen  by  the  hunters  who  visit  there,  but  is 
too  wiKl  to  be  api>roached.  The  n»an  was  brought 
to  Mr.  Foster's,  at  San  Pedro,  where  I  frequently 
saw  him,  much  disilgiued,  and  blinil  from  his 
wouiuls. 

After  the  Commodore  Tones  war  was  ended,  we 
wvie  IcH  to  our  ^HMceful  pursuits,  —  to  load  the 
&hip  and  wend  010  way  homeward.  We  arrived  at 
Boston  with  a  full  cajgo,  in  a  passage  of  one  hun- 


!'  n 


•r  i\ 


""•^"WT" 


'!!■ 


if^iil 


268 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


dred  and  twenty-tlirec  days,  after  an  absence  of 
three  years,  three  montlis,  and  tliirteen  days.  The 
entire  crew  who  sailed  from  Boston  in  the  ship  re- 
turned in  her,  excepting  a  hid,  who  was  drowned 
while  bntliing  in  the  surf.  This  was  the  last  voy- 
age fitted  out  by  IJryant,  Sturgis  &  Co.,  and  I  had 
reason  to  believe  it  was  conducted  to  their  satisfac- 
tion. To  give  some  idea  of  the  labor  and  incidents 
of  one  of  ihose  voyages,  I  will  state  that  we  were 
seven  times  at  vSan  Francisco,  thirteen  at  Monterey, 
three  at  Santa  Cruz,  four  at  St.  Louis,  seventeen  at 
Santa  liarbara,  seventeen  at  San  Pedro,  five  at 
Refugio,  and  returned  to  our  depot  ten  times,  fre- 
quently anchoring  at  various  other  places  along 
shore.  The  bovver  anchor  was  hove  up  one 
hundred  and  thirty-one  times,  and  we  killed  and 
consumed,  while  on  the  coast,  two  hundred  and 
three  bullocks.  In  collecting  and  curing  a  hide 
cargo,  and,  finally  stowing  the  same  on  board  ship, 
each  hitle  has  to  be  handled  twenty-two  times. 

It  is  much  to  l)c  regretted  that  the  late  Captain 
William  Sturgis  <iid  not  prepare  and  publish  a  his- 
tory of  the  early  trade  of  the  North-west  Coast  and 
California  ;  from  his  own  practical  experience  and" 
keen  observation,  he  was  most  eminently  qualified 
to  give  a  reliable  and  valuable  work.  lion.  Sam- 
uel Hooper,  the  junior  member  of  the  firm  of 
Messrs.  Bryant,  Sturgis  &  Co.,  informs  irc  that 
Mr.  Sturgis  luai\ed  all  his  old  journals  to  some  per- 
son who  was  going  to  the  Pacific,  and,  much  to  his 
regret,  they  were  never  returned. 


THE  HUDSON  BAT  COMPANT. 


26^ 


:nce  of 
i.     The 
ship  ic- 
rovvncd 
xst  voy- 
.1  I  had 
satisfac- 
icidcnts 
ve  were 
:)nterev, 
ntccn  at 
five  at 
nes,  fre- 
:s  along 
up   one 
led   and 
red   and 
'  a  hide 
ird  ship, 
lies. 

Captain 
ih  a  his- 
oast  and 
!nce  and 
;pjalifieil 
)n.  Sam- 
firm  of 
n::  that 
J  me  per- 
ch to  his 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

THE   HUDSON    BAY   COMPANY. 

IT  is  well  known  that  the  above  powerfid  body, 
in  pursuance  of  their  determined  system  of  mo- 
nopolizing all  the  benefits  of  the  ftu*  trade  on  the 
North-west  Coast,  finally  compellctl  our  ships  to 
relinquish  the  business.  It  is  true  that  the  Com- 
pany treated  the  Americans  who  came  to  the  coast 
by  land  or  sea  with  the  utmost  kindness  and  hos- 
pitality, so  long  as  no  interference  was  oflered  with 
their  trade.  The  weary  emigiant  or  missionary 
from  the  United  States,  or  anv  other  countr\',  was 
well  received  at  the  Company's  establishments,  and 
assisteil  in  his  object,  if  it  was  not  of  a  com- 
mercial character  ;  but  if  a  sL^p  arrived  on  the  coast 
for  the  purpose  of  hunting,  to  trap,  or  trade  with 
the  natives,  unconnected  witii  their  Company,  their 
whole  force  was  directed  against  such  an  enterprise. 
The  price  of  beaver  was  three  dollars  a  pi)und 
throughout  the  coast.  An  Anuric.ui  ship  arriving, 
the  Company's  agent  would  ii^imediately  purchase 
every  pound  in  the  hands  of  trappers  and  natives. 
If  the  ship  would  ofier  a  higher  price,  the  agents 
of  the  Company  would  purchase  at  a  higher,  or  any 
price,  to  obtain  it. 

Indeed  with  such  an  organization,  with  their  im- 


4 
1  (.' 


ti ' 


lil  I 


270 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


mcnse  wealth,  no  other  company  or  body  of  men 
could  compete,  and  consequently,  for  many  years 
previous  to  1840,  the  fur  trade  of  the  North  was 
almost  wholly  in  their  hands. 

At  the  time  when,  by  convention,  it  was  agreed 
that  our  people  had  equal  rights  with  the  Honor- 
able Company  in  the  waters  of  the  Columbia  River, 
an  expedition  was  fitted  out  from  a  port  in  Massa- 
chusetts for  the  purpose  of  catching  and  curing 
salmon  at  the  Columbia.  On  the  arrival  of  the 
vessel  at  the  river,  Doctor  McLaughlin,  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company's  chief  factor  resident  at  the  Colum- 
bia, was  waited  upon  by  the  head  of  the  party,  who 
informed  him  of  their  intentions,  and  hoped  that 
there  would  be  no  objection  to  their  establishing 
their  fishery.  The  reply  was,  "•  We  are  happy  to 
see  you,  gentlemen  ;  the  river  and  the  fish  are  yours 
as  much  as  ours,  —  go  on  with  your  business,  catch 
all  the  fish  you  can  ;  you  cannot  interfere  with  us 
in  the  least;  shall  always  be  glad  to  see  you  at 
the  fort,  and  to  render  you  any  assistance  in  our 
power." 

This  certainly  was  encourngin":.  The  party  se- 
lected  a  site  to  put  up  their  cooperage  and  land 
their  salt,  and  when  they  were  all  ready  they  began 
to  set  their  nets  in  the  river.  Immediately  the  ser- 
vants of  the  Honorable  Company  put  their  nets 
above  every  one  of  the  new  comers,  and  prevented 
the  fish  from'being  caught  by  the  Yankees,  —  and 
all  this  was  done  in  such  a  very  polite  manner  that 
ofience  could  not  be  taken. 

Not  satisfied   with  driving  us  from   the  North- 


THE   TRADE   OF  SAN  FRANCISCO.    271 


of  men 
y  years 
rth  was 


agreed 

Ilonor- 
\  River, 

Massa- 

ciiring 

i  of  the 

Iludson 

Colum- 
vty,  who 
peel  that 
iblisliing 
happy  to 
ire  yours 
;ss,  catch 

with  us 
you  at 
in  our 

larty  se- 
nd land 
lov  began 
the  scr- 
icir  nets 
M'evented 
cs,  —  and 
nner  that 

le  North- 


west, tliey  followed  us  to  California.  In  a  volu- 
minous work  recently  published  on  California,  in 
speaking  of  the  early  trade,  the  writer  says  the 
Iludson  Bay  Company  had  the  most  of  the  trade 
at  San  Francisco  in  their  hands  from  1837  ^"  1S41. 
This  is  a  mistake.  Previous  to  that  year  their  only 
trade  in  California  had  been  ^or  cattle  and  wheat 
from  the  north  side  of  the  bay.  They  had  some 
parties  of  trappers  and  hunters  about  the  Bay  of 
Sia  Sune  and  the  mouth  of  the  Sacramento,  but 
with  the  other  parts  of  the  coast  they  had  no  inter- 
course. The  cattle  jDurchased  in  California  were 
driven  to  Oregon,  and  a  vessel  came  to  the  bay 
once  a  year  to  bring  supplies  for  their  trappers,  and 
procure  wheat. 

In  Janu'iry,  1842,  the  Company's  bark  Cowlitz 
came  to  San  Francisco  with  a  cargo  of  goods,  to 
open  a  general  traffic  with  the  people  of  the  coun- 
try, and,  in  short,  to  monopolize  the  trade  of  Cali- 
fornia. With  the  ship  came  Sir  George  Simpson, 
the  Deputy  Governor  of  the  Company,  and  Doctor 
McLaughlin,  the  chief  factor,  together  with  a  num- 
ber of  under  officers  of  various  grades.  The  house 
built  by  Jacob  P.  Leese,  with  a  hundred  vara  lot 
of  land,  was  purchased,  their  cargo  landed,  and 
their  first  trading-post  in  California  was  then  estab- 
lished. 

When  the  sliip  left  the  port,  Mr.  Glen  Rae,  an 
under  factor,  and  son-in-law  of  Dr.  McLaughlin, 
was  left  in  charge  of  the  business.  Mr.  Rae  was  a 
Scotchman  (as  most  of  the  Company's  officers 
were),  and  very   socially  inclined.     We  Yankees 


^1!|'  I 


m 


rv 


272 


FO/i£  AND  AFT. 


Ill 


m 


SSII'HR 


i-H  1 


were  desirous  of  fiiuliiig  out  the  intentions  of  our 
powerful  competitors,  and  were  often  visitors  at  the 
establishment  of  our  friend  Rae,  especially  at  even- 
ing, when  he  was  prone  to  indulge  in  the  "  barley 
brae."  At  such  times  he  was  quite  communicative. 
In  one  of  his  merry  moods  he  told  us  that  it  cost 
his  Company  seventy-five  thousand  pounds  to  drive 
Bryant  &  Sturgis  from  the  North-west  fur  trade. 
*'  And  they  will  drive  you  Yankees,"  he  said,  "  from 
California,  if  it  costs  a  million."  Before  leaving 
here,  Sir  George  and  other  of  the  Company's  offi- 
cers proceeded  down  the  coast.  He  had  lately 
crossed  from  the  Atlantic,  via  Hudson's  Bay,  to 
the  Columbia  River,  partly  in  canoes,  visiting  all 
the  principal  stations  and  trading-posts  on  the  route 
from  the  Columbia  to  their  extreme  northern  post, 
touching  the  Russian  territory,  thence  to  the  Sand- 
wich Islands.  And  now  in  California  he  was  vis- 
iting every  part  of  the  coast,  spying  out  all  business 
that  was  doing,  and  who  was  doing  it,  making 
himself  acquainted  with  the  people,  dancing  at 
their  fandangoes  with  the  pretty  Senoritas,  and  their 
niothers  also,  puffing  a  cigarltto  with  the  old  Don, 
and  sparijig  no  ellbrt  or  expense  to  make  a  good 
impression  for  the  interests  of  the  great  Company 
he  represented.  Sir  George,  in  fact,  was  a  man  of 
indomitable  energy  and  perseverance,  of  free  and 
courteous  manners,  and  a  great  favorite  with  all ; 
but  he  could  not  compete  with  the  Boston  traders. 
Their  system  of  doing  business  was  dillcrent,  and 
far  better  adapted  to  the  condition  of  the  Califor- 
nians. 


of  our 

at  the 
t  cvcn- 
barley 
icativc. 
it  cost 
o  drive 
•  trade. 
,  ^'  from 
leaving 
ly's  offi- 
\  lately 
Bay,   to 
iting  all 
he  route 
;rn  post, 
le  Sand- 
was  vis- 
business 

making 
ucing  at 
ind  their 

M  Don, 
a  good 

bmpany 
man  of 

iVcc  and 

,vith  all; 
traders. 

rent,  and 
Califor- 


A   SPECIAfEN    WRAPPER. 


273 


Doctor  McLaughlin,  who  was  chief  factor  of  all 
the  Company's  business  west  of  tiic  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, was  a  very  modest,  unafsuming,  and  kiml- 
hcarted  man.  He  had  spent  most  of  his  life  in  the 
Company's  service,  at  the  Columbia  River.  His 
hospitality  and  frientiship  have  always  '<ecn  ex- 
tended to  distressed  emigrants  and  others.  Many 
of  our  countrvmen  who  have  visited  the  Columbia 
River,  speak  of  him  in  the  higiiest  terms. 

At  the  time  of  this  visit  the  Company  had  a  trad- 
ing party  of  seventy  men  above  tl.e  B  y  of  San 
Francisco,  in  charge  of  Mr.  Ermitinger,  who  was 
Captain  of  all  the  Company's  hunters  and  trappers 
west  of  the  Mountains.  I  met  tills  gentleman  fre- 
quently while  visiting  his  friend  Rae,  at  th(  Yerba 
Buena,  and  was  much  interested  in  him.  lie  was 
a  fair  specimen  of  many  who  have  risen  to  posi- 
tions of  responsibility  by  long  and  laborious  service. 
Beginning  at  the  lowest  round  of  the  ladder,  with 
low  pay,  compelled  to  perform  duty  in  any  capacity 
and  in  any  place  to  which  they  may  be  ordered,  at 
the  desk,  or  chopping  wood,  pulling  an  oar  or  cul- 
tivating the  ground,  the  Company's  servants  are 
promoted,  from  time  to  time,  according  to  their 
capacity  and  merit.  Ermitinger  was  a  good  repre- 
sentative \,'.."\  of  his  class, — hardy,  vigorous,  and 
active;  ertrav/iT^ant  in  word,  thought,  and  dccd^ 
heedless  o'  h;; 'dship,  daring  of  danger,  prodigal 
of  the  present,  and  thoughtless  of  the  future. 

Twenty-five  years'  life   as  a  trapper  and  a  chief 
of  trappers,  had  accustomed  him   to   perilous  en- 
counters with  bears  and  Indians.     His  simple  and 
18 


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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4')03 


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274 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


\     I 


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i  I 


frank  manner  in  relating  them  contrasted  singularly 
with  the  wild  and  startling  nature  of  his  themes. 
I  was  amused  at  a  remark  of  his,  which  showed  the 
contempt  in  which  these  sons  of  the  wilderness 
hold  the  comforts  of  civilized  life.  "  Captain," 
said  he,  "  this  is  the  first  time  I  have  slept  in  a 
house  for  two  years,  and  last  night  I  did  a  thing 
which  I  have  not  done  for  twenty-four  years :  I 
slept  in  sheets,  but  I  was  drunk,  and  Rae  put  me 
into  them,  therefore  the  sin  must  lie  at  his  door." 

One  evening  I  was  at  Mr.  Rae's,  at  a  small  party. 
Ermitinger  was  present.  In  the  course  of  the  even- 
ing Padre ,  of  the  Mission  of  Saint  Rafael,  en- 
tered the  room,  pretty  well  "  sprung,"  and  began 
to  use  disgusting  familiarities  with  the  company, 
such  as  hugging  and  kissing  the  gentlemen  after 
the  Spanish  fashion,  —  which  is  annoying  to  most 
people,  especially  when  the  parties  are  both  of  the 
male  sex.  The  priest  embraced  those  he  knew, 
and  proposed  to  extend  his  fraternal  caress  to 
Ermitinger,  who  was  a  stranger.  After  an  intro- 
duction, when  he  made  advances  for  that  purpose, 
the  trapper  tried  to  avoid  the  contact.  He  told  him 
"  he  was  glad  to  see  him,  but  he  did  not  allow  any 
man  to  put  his  hands  on  him/'  In  vain  we  tried 
to  keep  the  priest  quiet;  but  as  he  increased  his 
libations,  so  grew  his  foolish  persistence.  .Making 
a  desperate  effort  to  accomplish  his  purpose,  most 
unexpectedly  he  came  in  contact  with  the  back  of 
the  hunter's  hand,  which  sent  him  sprawling  across 
the  room.  "  Stranger,"  said  Ermitinger,  "  when  I 
was  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  I  swore  that  I  would 


FAILURE  OF  THE  ENTERPRISE. 


275 


ularly 
lemes. 
■ed  the 
,erness 
3tain,"  , 
t  in  a 
,  thing 
ars:    I 
Hit  me 
3or." 
I  party. 
le  even- 
ael,  en- 
l  began 
mpany, 
;n  after 
to  most 
1  of  the 
!  knew, 
iress  to 
n  intro- 
nirpose, 
old  him 
low  any 
tve  tried 
ised  his 
Making 
se,  most 
jack  of 
2  across 
when  I 
I  would 


never  allow  myself  to  be  hugged  by  a  Blackfoot 
Indian  or  a  grizzly  bear ;  but  I  would  suffer  the 
embraces  of  either  in  preference  to  those  of  a 
drunken  priest."  The  poor  Padre  found  he  was 
**^barking  up  the  wrong  tree  ; "  and  as  his  cowl  and 
shaven  crown  found  but  little  reverence  in  such 
rude  company,  he  thought  he  had  better  leave, 
which  he  accordingly  did. 

The  experiment  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  in 
the  California  trade  was  a  failure ;  their  long  estab- 
lished system  of  cash  or  barter,  and  no  credit,  could 
not  be  departed  from.  The  people  of  the  country 
had  no  money  ;  they  had  been  accustomed  to  buy 
their  goods  of  the  Boston  ships  on  credit,  and  to 
pay  for  them  in  hides  and  tallow  when  they  could. 
With  them  they  knew  they  could  continue  to  traffic 
in  this  manner,  so  that  the  Honorable  Company's 
factor  found  no  customers.  Poor  Rae  was  discour- 
aged, and  took  to  drinking  freely.  I.i  about  a  year 
he  made  a  bad  matter  worse,  by  putting  a  bullet 
through  his  head.  He  was  buried  in  the  yard  back 
of  his  house,  which  stood  at  the  corner  of  Clay  and 
Dupont  Streets.  Some  months  afterwards,  a  ship 
was  sent  from  the  Columbia  to  take  away  his  family 
and  remove  his  body,  with  all  the  Company's  effects. 
Tiic  building  and  land  were  sold  to  Melius  &  How- 
ard, in  i846,  for  five  thousand  dollars.  Thus  ended 
the  attempt  to  "  drive  the  Yankees  out  of  Cali- 
fornia." 

It  is  a  well-known  fact,  that  the  fur  trade  is  less  ^ 
productive  than  formerly  in  all  the  territory  of  the 
Hi.dson  Bay  Company,  on  account  of  the  diminu- 


1! 


fil: 


'1 '    ]'  ^ 


'If 

i 


hf 

if 
ill 


In  I 


^  276 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


tion  of  the  number  of  fur-bearing  animals,  and  es- 
pecially of  the  sea-otter  of  the  coast.  This  may  in 
part  account  for  their  evident  desire  to  extend  their 
business  operations  in  the  direction  of  California. 
The  Company  are  very  careful  in  the  management 
of  their  hunting  districts ;  particular  portions  of 
them  are  hunted  and  trapped  over  in  one  season, 
and  then  a  sufficient  number  of  animals  being  left 
to  secure  a  future  crop,  the  district  is  left  unmo- 
lested for  a  number  of  years.  Their  immense  tracts 
of  hunting-grounds,  with  innumerable  lakes  and 
watercourses,  spreading  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific,  afford  ample  room  to  crop  or  cultivate  the 
fur  fields  as  thev  choose. 

A  certain  amount  of  furs  is  shipped  to  England 
each  year.  'The  quantity  of  each  kind  necessary  to 
supply  the  markets  of  London  and  Leipsic,  where 
the  greater  annual  sales  take  place,  is  known  to 
the  directors,  who  instruct  their  factors  not  to  take 
more  furs  than  is  sufficient  to  supply  the  demand. 
In  case  of  a  surplus  on  hand,  furs  are  sometimes 
destroyed  to  prevent  overstocking  the  market.  Mr. 
Rae  informed  me  that  one  year  previous  to  1840,  he 
superintended  the  burning  of  thirty  thousand  fur- 
skins  which  had  accumulated  above  the  needful 
number  to  ship,  the  Company's  agents  having  made 
large  purchases  to  prevent  their  falling  into  other 
hands. 


f  -    ....-•.- 


L^ 


HOW  CALIFORNIA  BECAME  OURS. 


277 


CHAPTER   XXV. 


li 


left 


HOW   CALIFORNIA   BECAME    OURS. 

AGAIN  in  September,  1S45,  I  sailed  with  the 
bark  AIoscow  for  California,  on  a  trading 
voyage  on  the  coast,  as  Captain  and  supercargo, 
being  also  interested  as  owner.  I  was  also  to 
take  charge  of  and  direct  the  voyage  of  the  ship 
Sterlings  which  had  been  on  the  coast  about  a  year, 
and  belonged  principally  to  the  same  owners  as  the 
Moscow^  Joseph  B.  Eaton,  Esq.,  and  others.  In 
one  hundred  and  liiirty-six  days'  passage  we  arrived 
at  San  Pedro;  and  as  the  Governor,  " Pio  Pico," 
was  residing  at  Los  Angelos,  I  hoped  to  be  allowed 
entry  at  this  port.  This  was  not  permitted,  and  I 
was  ordered  to  Monterey,  as  being  the  only  port 
of  entry. 

Early  in  March  commenced  the  series  of  events 
which  resulted  in  the  occupation  of  the  country  by 
the  United  States  forces.  I  am  well  aware  that  the 
story  has  been  told  by  a  number  of  writers  ^v  o 
were  not  in  the  country  at  the,  time,  and  by  some 
who  never  have  been  there,  and  whose  statements 
in  many  instances  are  not  as  correct  as  they  might 
have  been  had  the  writers  been  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
operations.  Any  facts  throwing  light  on  the  early 
movements  towards  the  possession  of  California, 


\  1 1 


'•vi, 


■'■'"B 


'I 


bq 
p 


■  8' 


I 


1=! 


V. 


-s 


278 


r07?E  AND  AFT. 


may  hereafter  become  of  much  interest  to  the  histo- 
rian. Therefore,  as  I  was  in  that  country  during 
the  entire  war  with  Mexico,  had  much  to  do  with 
both  arms  of  the  service  in  chartering  ships  for 
transporting  men  and  material,  furnishing  supplies, 
and  in  various  ways  cooperating  with  our  forces 
there,  it  is  fair  to  assume  that  my  observations  of 
those  times  are  worthy  of  credit,  especially  as  the 
occurrences  there  were  of  frequent  and  almost 
daily  record. 

About  the  ist  of  March,  Fremont,  who  was  then 
Captain,  came  to  the  neighborhood  of  San  Juan, 
about  fifty  miles  from  Monterey,  with  his  exploring 
expedition,  worn  down  and  exhausted  by  severe 
toil.  His  object  in  coming  there  was  to  recruit  the 
party,  and  ask  permission  of  the  authorities  in  Mon- 
terey to  proceed  south  to  Santa  Barbara,  to  get  the 
stores  and  provisions  which  had  been  placed  there 
for  him  by  the  American  Consul.  Leaving  his 
camp,  Captain  Fremont,  with  one  or  two  men,  came 
into  town  and  called  upon  the  Military  Comu^andant, 
Gen.  Jose  Castro,  in  company  with  Mr.  Larkin,  the 
American  Consul.  The  request  was  made  and 
granted.  Castro  was  in^  bed,  and  pretended  sick- 
ness ;  he  tcld  Fremont  to  camp  in  any  place  he 
thought  proper,  and  remain  in  the  country  as  long 
as  he  wished.  Fremont  thanked  him,  saying  he 
was  only  desirous  of  remaining  long  enough  to 
recruit  man  and  beast,  when  he  should  return  to  the 
United  States,  and  requested  that  the  permission 
should  be  given  in  writing,  so  careful  was  he  not  to 
violate  any  rights  of  the  country.     Castro  flared  up  : 


THE    WILY  CASTRO. 


279 


*'  He  was  a  Soldato  Mexicano ;  he  was  too  unwell 
to  write ;  his  word  was  as  good  as  his  bond." 
Capt.  Fremont  was  led  by  such  assertions  to  believe 
he  was  dealing  with  a  man  of  honor.  They  parted 
with  very  profuse  offers  of  assistance  on  the  part 
of  Castro,  and  Capt.  Fremont  returned  to  establish 
his  camp  in  a  suitable  place,  where  the  animals 
were  turned  out  to  feed,  and  the  men  employed  in 
the  usual  camp  duties.  Capt.  Fremont  sent  an 
officer  to  Monterey  with  his  compliments  to  the 
Consul,  requesting  a  few  needful  articles  to  be  sent 
him,  and  saying  that  in  a  few  days  he  should  visit 
him  with  a  few  officers  to  pay  his  respects,  etc. 

And  now  we  will  see  what  preparations  Mr. 
Castro  was  making,  in  the  meantime,  to  entertain 
his  guest,  notwithstanding  his  repeated  protestations 
of  friendship  (which  in  a  Mexican  are  very  wordy, 
but  mean  nothing).  No  sooner  had  the  Captain 
left  town,  than  Castro  immediately  set  about  raising 
a  force  to  drive  the  Americans  out  of  the  country  ; 
and  when  the  officer  with  the  note  from  camp 
arrived  in  town,  Castro  was  actually  on  his  way, 
with  over  two  hundred  well  mounted  men,  and 
a  field-piece,  to  attack  the  camp,  calling  upon  the 
people  of  the  country  to  unite  with  him  in  cutting 
the  throats  of  the  Americans,  whom  he  designated 
as  robbers,  vagabonds,  etc.,  etc. ;  all  of  which, 
though  coming  with  the  utmost  ease  from  a  Mex- 
ican throat,  cannot  be  swallowed  with  equal  ease 
by  a  Yankee.  I  was  at  the  Consulate  when  the 
man  arrived ;  and  while  Mr.  Larkin  was  preparing 
an  answer  I  also  wrote  a  no.e  to  Fremont,  with 


m 


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v. 


4 


28o 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


'h, 


offers  of  assistance,  if  an  opportunity  should  occur 
of  rendering  it,  and  telling  him  that  if  he  should 
be  attacked  and  driven  to  any  point  of  the  coast,  I 
would  proceed  there  with  my  vessel  and  take  the 
party  on  board.  We  were  indignant  at  the  per- 
fidious conduct  of  Castro,  but  had  no  fears  for  the 
safety  of  our  countrymen,  against  whom  he  was 
breathing  destructioti  Castro  had  now  collected 
about  three  hundred  men  at  the  Mission  of  San 
Juan.  We  expressed  our  fears  to  Godey,  the  mes- 
senger, that  he  would  not  return  to  camp  ;  but  the 
old  trapper,  who  was  used  to  "  playing  possum," 
said  "  he  could  work  his  way  where  there  was  grass 
enough  to  cover  a  snake." 

With  his  force  drawn  up  in  front  of  Capt.  Fre- 
mont's small  party,  Castro  sent  a  verbal  message  to 
the  American  Commander  "  that  he  had  received 
orders  from  Mexico  to  drive  him  from  the  country, 
and  if  he  did  not  move  immediately  he  would 
attack  and  destroy  every  man."  Fremont  replied 
*'  that  he  would  not  be  driven  away,  and  furthermore, 
that  he  would  hold  no  correspondence  with  a  man 
who  had  so  shamelessly  broken  his  faith."  The 
Americans  removed  to  a  hill,  on  the  summit  of 
which  they  cut  down  trees,  and  partially  intrenching 
themselves,  hoisted  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  deter- 
mined *'to  do  or  die"  beneath  its  folds.  Fremont's 
force  consisted  of  fifty-four  men,  six  of  whom  were 
Delaware  Indians,  the  body-guard  of  their  leader. 
They  had  been  with  him  in  all  his  expeditions,  were 
devoted  to  him,  and  always  kept  near  his  person. 
Each  m^n  had  seven  shots ;  /.  e,^  a  rifle  and  a  six- 


PREPARING    TO  FIGHT. 


281 


shooter  pistol,  a  tomahawk  and  long  knife,  all  of 
which  they  well  knew  how  to  use.  They  were  all 
picked  men,  accustomed  to  look  death  in  the  face, 
and  they  were  prepared  to  do  so  now.  In  hourly 
expectation  of  an  attack,  Fremont  addressed  his 
men,  who  with  one  voice  responded  they  were 
ready  to  die  with  him,  but  would  never  surrender. 
The  Delawares  arrayed  themselves  in  their  finery, 
put  on  their  red  war-paint,  and  singing  their  war 
and  death  songs,  prepared  themselves  for  their  last 
battle.  Thus  aflairs  stood  on  the  ninth  of  March. 
All  was  suspense  and  curiosity  at  Monterey,  to 
know  what  the  result  would  be.  A  few  days  after 
this,  a  note  in  pencil  was  handed  Mr.  Larkin  by 
some  unknown  person.  As  showing  the  state  of 
things  at  camp,  I  make  the  following  extract :  — 

"  Evening  of  March  10. 

"  I  am  now  making  myself  as  strong  as  possible, 
with  tlie  intention  that,  if  attacked,  wc  will  fight  to 
extremity  and  refuse  quarter,  trusting  to  our  country 
to  avenge  our  deaths.  No  Californian  has  come  to 
my  camp,  and,  from  the  heights  where  I  am  en- 
camped, I  can  see  troops  mustering  at  San  Juan 
and  preparing  cannon. 

*'  We  have  in  no  wise  done  wrong  to  the  people  or 
authorities  of  the  country  ;  and,  if  we  are  hemmed 
in  and  assaulted  here,  we  will  die,  every  one  of  us, 
under  the  flag  of  our  country. 

*'J.  C.  Fremont." 
One  morning  Castro  formed  his  line  to  charge  on 


iJ5- 


him 


i!  •' 


m. 


lyi.rd 


f 


r 


\ 


282 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


the  camp,  three  hundred  strong,  —  well  mounted 
and  variously  armed.  On  they  came,  in  full  sweep 
and  with  loud  shouts,  towards  the  apparently  de- 
voted enclosure,  which  it  seemed  would  instantly  be 
trodden  beneath  their  horses'  hoofs.  All  was  quiet 
as  death  within ;  but  a  fine  bead  was  drawn  along 
the  tubes  of  fifty-four  deadly  rifles,  by  eyes  that 
never  quailed  at  danger.  Each  one  would  empty  a 
saddle  at  a  distance,  giving  time  to  reload ;  a  little 
nearer,  and  there  would  be  newly-made  widows  in 
Monterey.  But  no,  —  all  of  a  sudden  the  Mexicans 
pulled  up  short  of  the  death-line,  and  further  they 
came  not.  They  thought  to  see  the  Americans  flee 
in  fright,  but  they  were  mistaken,  and  fell  back  to 
reconsider  the  matter.  Again  the  movement  was 
repeated  with  the  same  result,  until,  tired  of  waiting, 
Fremont  gave  orders  to  saddle  up  and  break  camp, 
which  was  done,  and  the  party  moved  away  in  face 
of  the  Monterey  braves  without  being  molested. 
When  well  out  of  range,  Castro's  cavalry  made  a 
rush  for  the  deserted  camp,  picking  up  so-ne  old 
saddle-cloths  which  Fremont's  men  had  thrown 
away  ;  these  they  held  as  trophies.  While  Fremont 
was  moving  off*  quietly  towards  the  Sacramento 
unpursued,  his  poor,  but  brave,  men,  disappointed 
in  their  expectations  of  getting  supplies  of  tobacco, 
shoes,  and  clothing,  which  they  thought  awaited 
them  in  the  shops  at  Monterey,  Castro  sent  in  a 
flaming  bulletin  to  Monterey,  saying :  — 

*'  We    have    obtained   a   glorious    victory ;    the 
enemy  has  been   assaulted;    we  have   driven   the 


!l 


FREMONT'S  FOLIC  7'. 


283 


banditti  from  the  country ;  and  he  retired  so  pre- 
cipitately that  he  abraidcr.'.  d   his  camp  equipage. 
Viva  Mexico. 
"  Written  on  the  field  of  battle,  with  gunpowder. 

"Jose  Castro, 
Co7nmanding  General  of  the  North** 


(( 


Captain  Fremont  and  party  proceeded  to  New 
Helvetia,  where  they  found  the  rest  and  refreshment 
they  so  much  needed.  I  also  sailed  for  San  Fran- 
cisco, where  I  found  the  Sterlings  and  one  or  two 
other  trading  ships.  A  few  days  after  arriving 
there  I  was  visited  by  Lieut.  Talbot,  one  of  Fre- 
mont's officers,  who  came  down  from  the  camp  at 
New  Helvetia,  to  obtain  supplies ;  a  good  portion 
of  the  requisite  articles  I  was  happy  to  furnish. 
The  scant  hospitality  and  rude  repulse  received  at 
Monterey  afforded  abundant  occasion  to  the  Amer- 
ican party  for  hostile  operations,  but  Capt.  Fremont 
carefully  abstained  from  any  act  which  would  im- 
plicate his  command.  "When  quietly  proceeding 
through  the  country  he  ahvays  paid  in  cash,  and  at 
high  prices,  for  every  article  purchased,  and  it  was 
a  standing  order  in  his  camp,  that  no  man  of  the 
party  should  enter  the  house  of  an  inhabitant  with- 
out the  permission  of  the  Commander.  Recruiting 
at  the  Sacramento,  Captain  (now  Major)  Fremont 
moved  to  the  north,  continuing  his  explorations. 

The  following  June,  early  in  the  month,  I  was  at 
Los  Angelos,  at  the  residence  of  the  Governor,  when 
a  courier  arrived  from  Mazatlan  with  despatches 
from  the  Mexican  Government,  informing  the  Gov- 


'     'Hi 


fis? 


Mi 


1 


::!^i^^i.i-:i. 


!l!: 


2S4 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


ernor  of  California  that  "  war  with  the  United 
States  would  soon  be  declared,  and  ordering  him  to 
put  the  country  in  a  good  state  of  defence  ;  consider 
every  American  ship  that  came  to  the  coast  an 
enemy,  and  treat  her  accordingly."  I  asked  Don 
Pio  "what  he  intended  to  do  about  it?"  He 
replied,  "  What  can  I  do?  I  have  not  a  dollar  or 
a  soldier.  The  Military  Commandant,  Castro,  at 
Monterey,  has  got  up  a  party  against  me,  and  is 
trying  to  displace  me."  Pio  Pico  was  an  honor- 
able, v/ell-meaning  man,  not  favorably  disposed  to 
the  occupation  of  his  country  by  Americans,  vdiile 
at  the  same  time  he  received  the  support  of  all  the 
foreigners  around  him.  I  had  his  assurance  that 
the  ships  trading  on  the  coast  should  not  be  mo- 
lested until  official  information  that  war  had  been 
declared  should  reach  him. 

Returning  to  Monterey,  we  learned  that  fresh 
trouble  had  broken  out  at  the  north.  Gen.  Castro, 
who  in  his  vain  boasting  probably  thought  that  he 
had  actually  frightened  Major  Fremont,  and  struck 
the  foreigners  with  dread,  now  made  a  move  to 
establish  his  character  for  valor  and  patriotism  by 
some  great  exploits  which  would  also  tell  well  at 
Mexico ;  so  he  issued  a  proclamation  calling  all 
the  foreigners  in  the  country  thieves  and  vagabonds, 
and  ordering  them  to  quit  California  immediately, 
on  pain  of  death.  They  we^-e  not  to  take  any  of 
their  property  with  them,  but  leave,  all  behind, 
thfeir  crops,  household  stuff,  vehicles,  and  even  the 
animals  they  brought  to  the  country  with  them  ;  in 
fact,  peaceable  and  industrious  emigrants,  who  were 


Iftii 


THE  ''BEAR  PARTY." 


285 


quietly  cultivating  the  lands  they  had  obtained  by 
grant  or  purchase,  were  ordered  to  leave  them,  and 
with  their  wives  and  little  ones  to  enter  the  wil- 
derness without  the  means  of  support  or  defence.  .. 
Castro  also  prepared  to  advance  against  tliem  with 
a  large  force,  to  put  his  threat  into  execution. 

Self-preservation  com'^oHed  the  settlers  to  take 
up  arms  against  a  governs,  nt  to  which  they  had 
previously  yielded  obedience.  Sixty  or  seventy  of 
these  men  from  the  '•'acramento,  Napa,  and  the 
region  round  about,  with  a  leader  named  Wm.  B. 
Ide,  surprised  and  took  possession  of  Sonoma,  on 
the  north  side  of  the  bay,  without  any  opposition, 
and  sent  the  principal  men  of  the  phice  to  Sutter's 
Fort  as  prisoners.  They  found  considerable  quan- 
tities of  arms  and  ammunition  here,  which  they 
took,  but  not  the  least  violence  was  offered  to  the 
inhabitants,  or  any  private  propert}'^  taken  other 
than  their  needs  required,  and  for  which  receipts 
were  given.  Ide  now  issued  his  proclamation,  stat- 
ing the  cause  for  which  they  were  in  arms  ;  declar- 
ing it  his  intention  to  establish  a  Free  Republic  in 
California,  and  signing  himself  Governor.  Their 
flag  w^as  the  grizzly  bear  rampant,  executed  on  a 
white  cotton  sheet  with  lamp-black.  This  gave  to 
them  the  name  of  the  "  Bear  Party." 

Major  Fremont  was  requested  to  take  command 
of  the  revolutionary  party,  but  he  was  a  United  ^ 
States  officer,  and  would  serve  under  no  flag  but  the 
Stars  and  Stripes,  so  he  'esumed  his  topographical 
work,  and  was  moving  out  of  California.  On  June 
19th,  the   Cyane^  United  States  ship-of-war,  arrived 


\tW 


286 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


!'! 


at  Monterey  from  Mazatlan.  In  her  came  passen- 
ger, Lieut.  GillCvSpie  of  the  Marines,  bearer  of  des- 
patches from  the  United  States.  His  first  inquiry  on 
landing,  was  for  Fremont.  Learning  that  he  was 
on  his  way  to  Oregon,  he  started  in  immediate  pur- 
suit. Passing  through  parties  of  hostile  Indians,  - 
with  some  narrow  escapes  he  succeeded  in  reach- 
ing him.  In  consequence  of  the  intelligence  and 
instructions  received  from  Gillespie,  Fremont,  after 
a  very  severe  fight  with  the  Indians,  returned 
to  Sutter's  Fort  and  took  command.  The  Bear 
Flag  gave  way  to  that  of  the  United  States,  and 
now  the  war  between  the  two  countries  was  inau- 
gurated. Had  Gillespie  been  but  a  few  days  later, 
he  could  not  have  reached  Fremont ;  in  that  case, 
the  results  to  the  emigrant  settlers  at  the  north 
•would  have  been  disastrous.  Castro,  with  a  large 
force,  was  moving  on  them,  and  had  reached  the 
south  side  of  the  bay  of  San  Francisco ;  he  had 
despatched  a  party  of  seventy  men  under  the  com- 
mand, of  Joaquim  de  la  Torre,  to  land  on  the 
opposite  side,  intending  to  follow  with  his  whole 
force  as  soon  as  boats  could  be  provided  ;  but  hear- 
ing that  Fremont  had  joined  the  Sonora  party,  the 
majority  of  his  men  refused  to  cross.  The  force 
already  over  were  fully  equal  in  number  to  the 
Americans,  but  they  did  not  seek  an  encounter  with 
our  people,  and  the  Colonel  did  not  wish  to  make 
his  attack  until  Gen^  Castro,  with  his  entire  force, 
had  crossed  over;  he  then  intended  to  destrov  the 
boats,  to  cut  off  their  retreat,  and  punish  them  at 
his  leisure.  ......  ^. 


SHORT  SHRIFT. 


287 


ae  passen- 
rer  of  des- 

inquiryon 
lat  he  was 
ediate  pur- 
e  Indians, 
\  in  reach- 
igence  and 
mont,  after 
3,    retnrned 

The   Bear 
States,  and 
5  was  inau- 
'  days  later, 
n  tiiat  case, 
:   the   north 
,vith  a  large 
reached  the 
ico ;  he  had 
ler  the  com- 
and   on  the 
h  his  whole 
i ;  but  hear- 
ra  party,  the 
The  force 
mber  to  the 
counter  with 
^'ish  to  make 
entire  force, 
o  destroy  the 
lish  them  at 


While  on  the  watch  for  Castro,  three  Califor- 
nians  were  captured  by  our  scouts ;  they  had  come 
over  in  a  small  boat ;  they  were  armed,  and  had 
written  orders  from  Castro  to  De  la  Torre  to  "  kill 
every  foreigner  they  found,  man,  woman,  and  child." 
These  three  men  were  shot  on  the  spot :  one  of 
them  was  a  notorious  villain.  A  few  days  pre- 
vious to  this  affair  two  of  Major  Fremont's  men,  on 
their  way  to  Bodega  with  letters,  were  captured  by 
La  Torre's  pjirty.  After  giving  up  their  arms  they 
were  tied  tea  tree,  shot,  and  cut  to  pieces  with 
knives,  and  Iheir  bodies  thrown  into  a  ditch. 
Upon  hearing  this,  our  men  were  highly  exasper- 
ated. They  pursued  the  Californians  night  and 
day.  When  Fremont  passed  St.  Rafael  in  pursuit, 
I  had  just  left  there,  and  he  sent  me  word  that  he 
would  drive  them  to  Sansilito  that  night,  where  they 
could  not  escape  unless  they  got  my  boats.  I  hastened 
back  to  the  ship,  and  made  all  safe.  There  was  a 
large  launch  lying  near  the  beach  ;  this  we  anchored 
farther  off,  and  put  provisions  on  board  to  be  ready 
for  tlie  use  of  Fremont,  should  he  need  her.  At 
night  tiiere  was  not  a  boat  on  the  shore.  Torre's 
party  must  shortly  arrive,  and  must  show  fight  or 
surrender.  Towards  morning  we  heard  them  ar- 
rive, and,  to  our  surprise,  they  were  soon  passing 
with  a  small  boat  from  the  shore  to  the  launch.  A 
small  boat  had  arrived  from  Verba  Buena  in  the 
night,  and  proved  to  be  the  salvation  of  the  party. 
The  United  States  ship  Portsmouth  was  at  Verba 
Buena ;  I  despatched  a  note  to  the  Commander,  in- 
forming him  of  the  movement,  and  intimating  that 


1 


m 


I  1 


It 
I 


1^ 


r 


flrf  s 
I 


^  \  I 


V  111 


-M 


288 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


a  couple  of  his  boats  could  easily  intercept  and  cap- 
ture them  ;  but  Captain  Montgomery  replied  "  that 
he  had  not  received  any  official  notice  of  war  ex- 
isting, and  consequently  had  no  authority  to  act." 
Thus  the  poor  scamps  escaped.  At  first  they  pulled 
towards  my  vessel,  but  finally  altered  their  course. 
We  had  an  entertainment  provided  for  them  which 
they  would  not  have  relished,  had  they  come  to  it 
uninvited. 

Fremont  and  party  arrived,  and  camped  opposite 
the  ship,  tiie  following  night ;  they  were  early  astir 
the  next  morning,  when  I  landed  to  visit  Major  Fre- 
mont, and  were  all  variously  occupied  in  taking 
care  of  their  horses,  mending  saddles,  cleaning  their 
arms,  etc.  I  had  i-ot  yet  seen  Fremont,  but  from 
reports  of  his  character  and  exploits,  my  imagina- 
tion had  pictured  him  as  a  large-sized,  martial- 
looking  personage,  towering  in  height  above  all  his 
companions,  whiskered  and  ferocious-looking.  I 
took  a  survey  of  the  party,  but  could  not  discover 
any  one  who  looked  as  I  thought  the  Major  ought 
to  look.  Seeing  a  tall,  lank,  Kentucky-looking 
chap,  dressed  in  a  greasy  deer-skin  hunting-shirt, 
with  trousers  to  match,  and  which  terminated  just 
below  his  knees,  his  head  ourmounted  with  a  coon- 
skin  cap,  tail  in  front,  who  I  supposed  was  an  officer 
(as  he  was  giving  orders  to  the  men),  I  approached, 
and  asked  if  the  Major  was  in  camp.  He  looked 
around,  and  pointed  out  a  slender-made,  well- 
proportioned  man,  sitting  in  front  of  a  tent.  His 
dress  was  a  blue  woollen  shirt  of  somewhat  naval 
style,  open  at  the  neck,  trimmed  with  white,  and 


MAJOR  FREMONT. 


2%^ 


and  cap- 
sd  "  that 
'  war  ex- 
to  act." 
ey  pulled 
r  course, 
m  which 
ome  to  it 

I  opposite 
;arly  astir 
lajor  Fre- 
in  taking 
ning  their 
but  from 
1  imagina- 
,   martial- 
ove  all  his 
»oking.     I 
t  discover 
ijor  ought 
i.y-looking 
ting-shirt, 
nated  just 
th  a  coon- 
s  an  officer 
proached, 
3e  looked 
ade,   well- 
tent.     His 
krhat  naval 
white,  and 


with  a  star  worked  on  each  side  of  the  collar ;  over 
this  a  deer-skin  hunting-shirt,  trimmed  and  fringed, 
which  had  evidently  seen  hard  service.  His  head, 
unencumbered  by  hat  or  cap,  had  a  light  cotton 
handkerchief  bound  around  it,  and  deer-skin  mocca- 
sins completed  the  suit,  which,  if  not  fashionable 
for  Broadway  or  for  a  presentation  dress  at  court, 
struck  me  as  being  an  excellent  rig  to  scud  under  or 
fight  in.  A  few  minutes'  conversation  'convinced 
me  that  I  stood  in  the  presence  of  the  King  of  the 
Rocky"  Mountains.  He  expressed  keen  regret  at 
the  escape  of  De  la  Torre,  and  said  that  his  opera- 
tions were  against  the  military  force  of  J-^e  country ; 
that  his  government  had  been  outrageously  insulted 
in  his  person,  and  that  he  would  compel  from  Cas- 
tro a  public  apology,  or  hunt  him  from  the  country. 
With  Lieutenant  Gillespie  he  went  on  board  to 
breakfast  with  me,  during  which  he  informed  me 
that  he  was  desirous  of  spiking  the  guns  of  the  fort 
on  the  opposite  point,  which  commanded  the  en- 
trance, as  with  a  small  garrison  of  the  enemy  it 
would  prevent  supplies  entering  which  might  come 
by  sea,  and  he  wanted  my  assistance  in  boats  and 
men.  I  told  him  I  had  two  ships'  cargoes  trusted 
out  to  the  people  of  the  country  ;  I  was  on  good 
terms  with  all  of  them  ;  I  must  avoid  compromising 
the  safety  of  the  property  in  my  charge,  and  not 
knowing  that  war  had  been  declared,  I  must  ab- 
stain from  offensive  acts.  The  Major  satisfied  me 
that  war  existed,  and  that  he  was  acting  in  obe- 
dience to  the  orders  of  the  United  States  Govdn- 
ment.  Upon  consideration  of  the  situation  of  aflitiirs, 
19 


1; 


,  t 


.  \'\  \ 


M 

290 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


that  Castro  had  decreed  the  death  of  all  Americans, 
and  the  Governor  had  orders  to  capture  our  ships, 
I  concluded  it  was  best  to  go  in,  and  help,  by  en- 
gaging in  the  trouble,  to  bring  it  to  a  close.  There- 
fore I  assented.  A  large  sailing-launch  was  soon 
got  ready.  From  my  trade-room  such  tools  were 
selected  as  would  be  necessary,  —  such  as  crow- 
bars, axes,  and  roimd  files  to  spike  the  guns  with. 
Major  Fremont,  Gillespie,  Kit  Carson,  and  twenty 
of  their  best  men,  including  the  Delawares,  em- 
barked with  my  boat's  crew,  wl.o  were  to  remain  in 
the  boat.  It  was  blowing  strong,  and  the  landing- 
place  was  among  strong  eddies  and  breakers.  I 
volunteered  to  go  as  pilot. 

Running  across  the  passage,  the  mountain  boys 
were  very  quiet.  The  long,  roll  of  the  Pacific 
forced  from  them  an  unwilling  tribute  to  Neptune ; 
and  even  the  veteran  Kit  Carson,  as  he  eyed  the 
rollers  of  the  sea  tumbling  in  from  the  bar  and 
sending  an  occasional  spray  over  the  launch,  ex- 
claimed, "  Cap,  I'd  rather  ride  on  the  back  of  a 
grizzly  than  on  this  boat."  The  boat  was  an- 
chored about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  inside  of  Fort 
Point,  just  without  the  breakers.  One  of  ^.^  men 
swam  on  shore  with  a  rope,  and  the  boat  was  hauled 
.  as  near  in  as  possible,  when  all  but  the  boat's  crew 
were  ordered  to  jump  overboard  and  scramble  on 
shore  as  they  best  could.  Between  the  landing- 
place  and  the  fort  a  number  of  gullies  or  ravines 
intervened,  over  which  I  had  to  pick  my  way  with 
some  caution  ;  but  what  were  obstructions  to  my 
web-feet  were  none  to  men  accustomed  to  scale  the 


SPIKING    THE   GUNS. 


291 


nencans, 
ur  ships, 
p,  by  en- 
There- 
/v^as  soon 
Dols  were 
as  crow- 
;uns  with. 
id  twenty 
rares,  em- 
remain  in 
B  landing- 
eakers.     I 

ntain  boys 
he   Pacific 
>  Neptune ; 
e  eyed  the 
le  bar  and 
launch,  ex- 
back  of  a 
it  was    an- 
ide  of  Fort 
of   ,.^  men 
was  hauled 
boat's  crew 
icramble  on 
he  landing- 
or  ravines 
ly  way  with 
tions  to  my 
to  scale  the 


Sierras.  They  were  very  quiet,  and  felt  out  of  their 
element  while  rolling:  in  the  inconsiderable  swell  of 
the  Pacific,  but  the  moment  their  feet  were  on  the 
rocks  they  were  at  home,  and  skipped  over  them 
like  goats.  Wiiat  was  amusing  to  them,  and  rather 
mortifying  to  me,  was,  that  I,  who  was  to  pilot  them 
into  the  fort,  could  not,  by  any  possible  locomotion 
of  my  own,  arrive  there  until  they  had  dismounted 
and  spiked  the  last  gun.  There  were  in  the  fort 
three  brass  and  seven  iron  heavy  fortification  guns ; 
and  that  they  were  effectually  spiked  could  be  at- 
tested by  the  officers  of  the  Portsmouth;  for  a 
few  weeks  afterwards,  on  removing  the  guns  to 
place  in  a  new  fort  on  Telegraph  Hill,  they  had 
much  trouble  in  withdrawinsf  the  steel  files  from  the 
brass  pieces,  which  was  only  accomplished  by  cut- 
ting around  them  and  inserting  a  copper  screw  bolt, 
with  a  tonchhole  bored  in  it.  Then  they  were 
again  made  serviceable. 

There  was  no  garrison  at  the  fort,  but  seeing  a 
party  of  horsemen  collecting  on  the  hills  watching 
us,  we  hurried  to  the  boat,  embarked  without  diflS- 
culty,  and  the  party  was  landed  at  their  camp  at 
Sansilito,  after  an  absence  of  about  two  hours. 
This  was  on  July  ist. 

The  following  day  Fremont's  battalion,  of  about 
one  hundred  men,  were  allowed  to  come  on  board 
my  ships  and  make  purchases.  They  came  about 
twenty  at  a  time.  Shoes  and  tobacco  were  the 
prime  articles  in  demand ;  after  these,  any  articles 
of  clothing,  no  matter  what  they  were.  Then  fiincy 
handkerchiefs,  ladies'  shawls,   scarfs,  blue  and  red 


w 


\  T-'.  ■■■■ 


mm 


f?:! 


'\'  ?:; 


■I     ■;■ 


292 


FORE' AND  AFT. 


cloth,  with  a  great  variety  of  fancy  articles  ;  nothing 
seemed  to  come  amiss,  and,  as  each  party  left  the 
ship  rigged  out  in  their  finery,  an  eager  party  on 
the  shore  were  ready  to  take  their  places  in  the 
boat.  .They  were  all  pretty  well  supplied,  except 
the  long  Kentuckian  of  whom  I  spoke  previously 
(Dr.  Robert  Semple,  afterwards  better  known  in 
California  as  "The  Long  Doctor").  A  pair  of 
trousers  could  not  be  found  in  the  ship  that  would 
reach  below  his  knees,  while  his  feet  covered  too 
much  ground  to  find  place  in  any  pair  of  shoes  that 
I  ever  saw.  The  same  day  Major  Fremont  broke 
up  camp  again  to  proceed  to  the  crossing  of  the 
Sacramento,  to  hunt  up  General  Castro. 


TAK/NG  POSSESSION, 


293 


lothlng 
.eft  the 
arty  on 
in  the 
except 
;viously 
own  in 
pair  of 
t  would 
ered  too 
loes  that 
it  broke 
cr  of  the 


CHAPTER    XXVI.    • 

TAKING   POSSESSION   OF  THE   COUNTRY. 

JULY  Sth,  Captain  Montgomery  received  a  des- 
patch   from    Commodore    Sloat,   saying   "  that 
from  information  he  had  just  received,  the  British 
Admiral  was  on  his  way  to  Monterey,  and  naturally 
supposing  that  Fremont  was  acting   under  instruc- 
tions, he  had  determined   to  hoist  the  flag  of  the 
United  States  there  the  next  day  ; "  adding,  "  I  would 
prefer  being  sacrificed  for  doing  too  much   than  too 
little.     If  you  have  sufficient  force,  or  if  Fremont 
vvill  join  you,   you  will   hoist  the   flag   at  Yerba 
Buena,  and  take  possession  of  the  bay,  the  fort,  and 
the  region  about  there,  in  the  name  of  the  United 
States."     This  was  dated  the  sixth.     Possession  was 
accordingly  taken  at  Monterey,  on  the  seventh,  by 
Commodore  Sloat,  and  at  San  Francisco,  by  Cap- 
tain Montgomery,  on  the  ninth.     Fremont  already 
had  full  and  undisputed  possession  of  all  the  north 
side  of  the  bay,  from  the  sea  to  Sutter's  Fort.     He 
had   prevented  Castro  from  crossing  over,  thereby 
saving  the  emigrant  families  at  the  north  from  de- 
struction, and  strengthening  their  position  so  well, 
that  during  the  whole  war  they  dwelt  in  safety,  re- 
volt being  impossible   in  that  part  of  the  country. 
July  loth,  the  PortsPioutJC s  marines  were  on  shore 


/ 


I 

i 


1' 


% 


m 


fx 


II 


11 

I 


llliirt 


■'.  "ilf- 


i 


394 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


'  I 


Mil 


doing  guard  duty,  and  the  sailors,  under  Lieutenant 
Misroon,  were  cutting  away  a  portion  of  Telegrapli 
Hill,  to  obtain  room  to  plant  a  battery  there,  to  help 
defend  the  ships.  It  was  supposed  that  the  British 
Admiral  would  interfere  with  our  occupation  of  the 
country,  and  our  Commanders  were  preparing  to 
resist  the  attempt  of  any  power  to  meddle  with  our 
afiairs. 

On  the  following  day,  the  lookout  from  the  hill 
signalled  an  English  frigate  (the  yuno)^  coming 
into  the  bay.  The  parties  on  shore  hastened  on 
board  their  ships,  the  crews  were  beat  to  quarters, 
partitions  were  knocked  down,  the  guns  shotted  and 
run  out,  the  decks  sanded  and  ♦^he  boats  dropped 
astern,  mine  with  the  rest,  as  I  liappened  to  be  on 
board  at  the  time.  Springs  were  got  on  the  cable, 
and  every  preparation  made  to  give  her  a  recep- 
tion, should  the  ship  prove  hostile.  The  frigate  an- 
chored at  Sansilito,  and  Lieutenant  Bartlett  was 
sent  on  board  to  inform  the  English  Captain  of  the 
state  of  affairs,  and  ascertain  his  intentions.  The 
Captain  informed  the  Lieutenant  that  he  had  no  or- 
ders from  his  Admiral  to  interfere  in  the  relations 
between  Mexico  and  the  United  States,  and  that  his 
only  object  in  coming  here  was  to  look  after  the  rights 
of  British  subjects.  Civilities  were  exchanged  be- 
tween the  ships,  and  on  the  seventeenth  the  yuno 
sailed  for  Mazatlan.  The  yuno  was  an  old-class 
ship,  mounting  thirty-six  carronadc  guns. .  The 
Portsmouth  was  a  twenty -gun  sloop-of-war,  but 
though  her  guns  were  long  and  heavy,  her  crew 
was  less  in  number  than  the  yuno;  altogether  they 


;:■■'■-')-■( 


--ttf  ■ 


A  MORMON  CARGO. 


295 


would  have  been  equally  matched.  It  was  very 
evident  that  the  PortsmoutJi  s  crew  were  desirous 
of  a  brush,  and  regretted  a  peaceable  termination 
of  what  had  promised  to  be  a  pretty  naval  ilght. 

Admiral  Sevmour,  with  the  Colllno^wood.  of 
eighty  guns,  arrived  at  Monterey  about  the  fifteenth, 
—  a  week  after  the  Stars  and  Stripes  was  hoisted 
there.  It  was  expected  he  would  even  then  inter.ore, 
especially  as  the  authorities  and  leading  inhab- 
itants had  before  made  arrangements  for  a  volun- 
tary transfer  of  the  country  to  British  protection. 
Sir  George  Seymour  frankly  told  Commodore  Sloat, 
that  if  he  had  arrived  previous  to  the  occupation  by 
him,  he  should  have  opposed  it  seriously  ;  "  but  as 
it  is,  you  have  played  me  a  \"ankee  trick,  and  there 
will  be  no  interference  by  me."  Soon  after  these 
events  had  transpired,  Commodore  Stockton,  with 
the  frigate  Coitgress.,  arrived  at  Monterey,  and  re- 
lieved Commodore  Sloat. 

The  ship  Brooklyn.,  of  and  from  New  York,  ar- 
rived at  Yerba  Buena  August  2d,  with  about  fifty 
Mormon  families.  I  called  on  board  to  look  at 
them  ;  they  appeared  to  be  of  the  middling  class, 
mostly  stout  men,  mechanics  and  farmers.  Their 
Elder,  who,  by  the  way,  was  not  elderl}'  looking, 
but  young  and  dandyish  in  appearance  (Mr.  S. 
Brannon)  handed  me  a  Sandwich  Island  news- 
paper (they  had  called  at  Honolulu),  containing  an 
account  which  he  had  furnished  the  editor,  stating 
their  views,  and  the  object  which  led  them  to  Cal- 
ifornia. They  were  the  pioneers  of  a  large  body 
of  their  sect  who  were  on  their  way  to  possess  this 


t 

f 


'■1 


I 


1  1 1 


296 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


land,  which  a  revelation  from  heaven  had  shown 
them  they  must  occupy,  and  here  they  must  estab- 
lish a  new  republic  of  their  own,  extend  the  do- 
minion of  the  Saints  on  the  shores  of  the  Pacific, 
and  eventually  over  India  and  China.  They  were 
sadly  disappointed  to  find  the  flag  of  the  United 
States  waving  here,  and  that,  regardless  of  their 
divine  right,  their  "  Uncle  Samuel  "  had  possession 
of  the  promised  land. 

The   Mormons  were   prepared    to   take  forcible 
measures  if  they  found  it  necessary  for  this  purpose  ; 
they  were  well  armed,  and  had  improved  their  time 
during  the  long  passage   in   infantry  drill   and  the 
use  of  the  musket ;  they  had  a  flag  of  their  own, 
but  as  it  was  not  unfurled  in  California  I  cannot 
describe  it.     laeir  arrival,  and  their  own  statements 
of  their  intentions  in  taking  what  they  pleased  from 
the  people  without  their  leave,  caused  some  excite- 
ment at  first ;   but  as  they  did  not  actually  molest 
any  person  or  property,  and  soon  settled  down  to 
various  employments,    were    industrious  and  well 
behaved,    there  was    nothing  to   distinguish  them 
from    other   emigrants.     Their   leader   turned    his 
attention  to  more  profitable  pursuits,  and  became 
one  of  the  most  energetic  and  buccessful  citizens  in 
the  country.    Shortly  after  this  a  Mormon  battalion 
arrived  at  San  Diego,  who  served  the  United  States 
Government  during  the  war,  and  afterwards  con- 
tinued good  citizens. 

Major  Fremont,  hoping  to  meet  Castro  at  Santa 
Clara,  crossed  the  Sacramento  at  Sutter's  Fort  about 
the  eleyenth  of  July,  and  there  heard  of  Com.  Sloat's 


\  1 


MARCH  ON  THE   CAPITAL. 


297 


capture  of  Monterey.  Moving  with  rapidity  around 
the  bay,  Castro  retreating  before  him,  lie  entered 
Monterey  July  19th,  with  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  riflemen,  and  embarked  with  them  on  board 
the  United  States  ship  Cyane.,  Captain  Dupont,  for 
San  Diego,  to  advance  towards  Los  Angelos  from 
that  point;  while  Com.  Stockton  landed  his  own 
crew  from  the  Congress  at  San  Pedro,  arrived  at 
Los  Angelos,  and  completed  the  capture  of  Cal- 
ifornia by  taking  its  capital.  I  arrived  at  San  Pedro, 
with  the  jMoscow,  the  next  day  after  the  Commo- 
dore, with  his  invading  army,  had  left  for  the  Pueblo 
Los  Angelos.  Com.  Sloat,  in  transferring  the  com- 
mand of  the  station  to  Com.  Stockton,  divested 
himself  of  a  great  and  increasing  responsibility, 
which  the  latter  readily  assumed,  as  he  was  author- 
ized to  exercise  greater  power  than  ever  had  been 
conferred  on  any  of  our  naval  Commanders.  It  was 
not  known  that  war  was  yet  declared,  but  on  the 
strength  of  the  offensive  or"'*ations  in  Mexico 
against  Gen.  Taylor's  army,  he  inferred  that  a  dec- 
laration must  follow.  An  officer  of  the  Congress 
came  on  board,  and  informed  me  that  the  sailors 
and  marines  who  had  been  on  shore  drilling  for 
land  service  three  or  four  days,  started,  the  previous 
day,  with  Com.  Stockton  at  their  head,  to  capture 
the  capital  of  California. 

As  soon  as  horses  could  be  obtained  for  myself 
and  clerk,  we  started  to  overtake  them.  While 
making  preparations  for  the  march,  the  Commodore 
received  a  flag  of  truce  from  Gen.  Castro,  who  was 
in  command  at  the  Pueblo,  with  a  larger  force  than 


l! 


■•5 


%V 


f. 


1^: 


■  ■  '.7 '11 


i 


'■■» 


298 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


the  Commodore's,  requesting  to  open  negotiations 
with  him.  To  this  Stoclvton  replied,  that  he  would 
treat  with  him  after  his  own  flag  was  hoisted  at 
Los  Angelos,  and  not  before.  Castro  returned  for 
answer,  that  the  American  flag  should  not  be 
planted  there  wliile  a  drop  of  blood  remained  in  a 
Californian.  The  Commodore  and  his  oflicers  of 
course  thought  there  would  be  fighting,  and  were 
prepared  for  it.  Castro  was  also  well  supplied 
with  field-pieces,  and  plenty  of  ammunition  ;  his 
men  were  well  mounted,  with  plenty  of  fresh 
horses  in  reserve,  while  the  Americans,  had  barely 
enough  to  mount  their  officers.  He  could  have 
made  a  good  fight,  and  driven  the  invaders  of  his 
country  back,  but  he  wanted  j^luck. 

About  ten  miles  from  the  fort  we  met  a  detach- 
ment of  one  hundred  and  fifty  sailors  returning  to 
the  ships.  The  officer  in  command  informed  me 
that  their  force  camped  the  previous  night  at 
Temple's  Ranche,  about  half  way  to  Los  Angelos ; 
that  the  foreigners  at  Pueblo  had,  during  the  niglit, 
sent  word  to  our  camp  that  as  soon  as  Castro  found 
the  Commodore  had  commenced  his  march,  he  did 
not  wait  to  get  sight  of  a  foe,  but  had  cleared  out  with 
all  his  force  for  the  Colorado  ;  consequently  a  part 
of  the  ship's  crew  were  ordered  back,  and  the  Com- 
modore, with  about  two  hundred  men,  continued 
the  march.  Pushing  on,  we  overtook  the  invad- 
ing army  about  ten  miles  from  the  Pueblo.  We 
approached  them  by  a  siiorter  route  than  they  were 
on.  A  great  cloud  of  dust  marked  their  line  of 
march,  while  the  high,  wild  mustard,  which  at  this 


AN  ARMr  OF  TAHS. 


299 


foliations 


season  covered  the  plains,  hid  them  from  our  view. 
As  we  cut  across  the  plain,  the  long  and  dry  stems 
made  such  a  crackling,  as  our  horses  broke  through 
the  mustanl,  that  the  force  was  halted,  and  with 
bayonets  charged  in  our  direction ;  we  emerged 
from  the  thicket,  two  of  us,  to  be  received  not  on 
the  bayonet-point,  but  with  a  hearty  laugh. 

Riding  to  the  front  to  report  myself,  I  fov.nd  the 
Commander  of  the  detachment,  Lieuf.  Schenck,  to  be 
an  old  acquaintance  in  the  JNIediterranean,  whom  I 
had  not  seen  for  twenty  years ;  he  recognized  and 
called  me  by  name  I  ,'forc  I  had  a  chance  to  speak 
to  him.  Lieut.  Tighlman  and  Purser  Speidan  were 
also  of  the  party.  They  were  likewise  oUl  friends, 
whom  it  was  pleasant  to  meet.  The  march  was 
resumed,  and  here  was  a  novel  sight,  —  a  frigate's 
crew  landed,  and  marching  thirty  miles  into  an 
enemy's  country  ;  an  almost  unheard-of  thing.  The 
fate  of  the  gallant  Porter,  who  was  suspended  for 
landing  a  force  to  pursue  a  gang  of  pirates  on  one 
of  the  West  India  Islands,  did  not  deter  "  Fighting 
Eob,"  as  he  was  called  by  the  sailors,  from  taking  a 
similar  and  broader  sweep.  No  official  declaration 
of  war  had  reached  California,  and  it  was  not  cer- 
tain that  war  would  ensue. 

Com.  St:>ckton  was  a  man  not  unwilling  to  assume 
great  responsibilities,  and  where  there  was  a  doubt 
in  the  case,  to  give  duty  the  benefit  of  it,  especially 
when  inclination  and  a  warlike  propensity  led  in 
th  same  direction.  It  was  no  small  matter,  and  an 
inr  jvation  on  the  service,  to  transform  a  crew  of 
sailors  into  soldiers.     "Long  Tom  Coffin"  would 


II 


li  I 


1^ 

1. 

ro 

ii^i"? 

■  y 

i 


"^:  fy  Is  1 


300 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


\  \  i  .? 


■i  \ 


have  rebelled  against  it,  and  his  exclamation  might 
have  been  repeated  now  with  stronger  emphasis,  •— 
"May  the  Lord  forgive  him  for  trying  to  make  a 
sodjer  of  an  honest  seafaring  man."  And  speaking 
as  a  sailor  myself,  I  cannot  help  sympathizing  with 
old  Tom  ;  for  it  seems  to  me  that  an  old  sailor  must 
feel  rather  ridiculous,  with  a  soldier's  fixings  on  his 
shoulders,  marching  after  a  fellow  on  shore  beating 
on  a  sheep-skin.  But  the  Commodore  succeeded. 
His  men  believed  in  him,  and  readily  followed 
wherever  he  led  the  wav.  The  marine  officer, 
Capt.  Zeilin,  was  also  a  favorite  with  the  crew. 
Under  his  able  and  efficient  training,  a  few  days' 
practice  on  shore  made  Jack  a  proficient  in  the  use 
of  the  musket  and  ba}  onet ;  he  was  made  also  to 
march  and  countermarch,  wheel,  etc.,  so  that  when 
he  took  his  land-tacks  on  board  he  could  back  and 
fill,  or  tack  ship,  in  good  military  shape. 

The  invading  army,  as  iL  now  moved  over  the 
plains,  presented  quite  an  imposing  appearance. 
First  came  the  full  band  of  music,  followed  by 
Capt.  Zeilin  and  his  marines ;  then  Lieut.  Schenck 
and  the  web-feet ;  Lieut.  Tighlman,  and  a  battery 
of  four  quarter-deck  guns,  mounted  on  as  many 
bullock  carts  ;  the  carriages  of  the  guns  were  se- 
cured by  the  breechings,  and  ready  for  ins'^ant 
service  ;  each  cart  was  drawn  by  four  oxen, —  the 
baggage  ammunition  followed  in  similar  teams ; 
the  Purser,  Doctor,  and  some  other  officers, —  part 
of  them  mounted  on  rather  sorry  looking  horses, 
the  others  on  foot.  The  total  force  was  about  three 
hundred  and  fifty. 


„-.,-.y^. 


AN  ALARM. 


301 


The  previous  night,  at  Temple's  Ranche,  an  alarm 
was  given.  The  enemy  vs^as  approaching  with 
yells  and  shouts.  The  long-roll  was  sounded,  and 
the  men  sprang  to  their  arms.  They  were  thrown 
into  position  to  repel  a  charge,  and  momentarily 
expected  that  Castro  would  appear.  The  cries  and 
yells  continued,  but  no  attack  was  made ;  they 
remained  under  arms  for  about  two  hours,  and 
probably  would  have  kept  so  until  daylight,  had  it 
not  been  for  an  old  Indian  who  was  in  charge  of 
the  ranche.  He,  hearing  the  rumpus,  went  to 
ascertain  the  cause.  As  the  noise  still  continued, 
he  was  questioned  as  to  the  meaning  of  ic;  and, 
to  our  infinite  disgust,  we  were  informed  that  it 
proceeded  from  u  couple  of  "  coyotes,"  a  small 
animal,  something  between  a  wolf  and  a  fox,  which 
abounded  in  the  country.  They  are  accustomed  to 
prowl  about  in  pairs,  and  from  midnight  to  daylight 
keep  up  r.  hideous  and  continuous  noise,  and  of 
such  variety  as  to  resemble,  with  the  howling  and 
yelling  of  various  animals,  the  shrieks  of  women, 
the  crying  of  children,  atid  the  barking  of  dogs. 
It  was  rather  amusing,  but  not  very  conducive  to 
the  good  humor  of  the  party,  who  needed  rest, 
to  know,  as  they  did  in  the  course  of  the  morning, 
that  while  these  two  insignificant  animals  were 
keeping  over  three  hundred  men  under  arms  for 
two  hours.  Gen.  Castro  had  fled  from  Los  Angelos, 
and  was  in  full  retreat  out  of  the  country. 

At  noon  the  force  halted  for  dinner,  and  I  gal- 
loped on  to  join  the  Commodore,  who,  with  the 
American  Consul,  had  gone  ahead.     We  arrived  at 


ii   ■■    {I!, 


ill 


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iq 


11 


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302 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


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the  government  house  shortly  after  the  Commodore, 
and  found  him  sitting  on  a  box  in  the  court.  After 
an  introduction,  and  an  offer  of  my  services,  he 
invited  me  to  a  part  of  the  box,  saying  that  the 
vagabonds  had  stripped  the  house,  not  leaving  him 
a  single  chair.  Mr.  Larkin,  the  Consul,  had  set 
some  Indians  to  work  cleaning  up  and  white- 
washing the  quarters,  and  before  night  the  resident 
foreigners  and  friendly  Californians  had  brought 
in  sufficient  furniture,  and  the  Commodore  and 
staff  were  well  accommodated  at  the  house  of  an 
American.  . 

About  4  p.  M.,  Lieut.  Schenck,  with  the  ships* 
forces,  arrived  at  the  gardens  outside  of  the  town, 
and  there  was  joined  by  Major  Fremont,  with  two 
hundred  of  \  s  men.  He  had  learned  of  Castro's 
retreat,  and  hoped  to  cut  him  off  before  he  coidd 
reach  the  Colorado  ;  but,  finding  that  Castro's  horses 
were  much  superior,  gave  up  the  chase,  and  came 
to  Los  Angelos  to  join  forces  with  the  Commodore. 
The  troops  marched  into  the  town,  together  with  a 
fine  band  of  music,  playing  "  Hail  Columbia,"  and 
hoisted  the  Stars  and  Stripes  in  the  plaza.  The 
ship's  crew  had  their  quarters  within  the  walls  of 
the  government  house,  and  Fremont's  party  campetl 
near  the  river.  I  passed  the  night  at  the  "  casa  " 
of  one  of  my  old  California  friends,  who  was  now 
in  Castro's  army,  but  his  wife  and  daughters  ex- 
tended their  usual  hospitality  to  me.  The  houses 
were  mostly  deserted  on  the  arrival  of  the  forces  ; 
the  people  who  had  not  fied  retired  to  a  hill  just 
back  of  the  town,  where  they  remained  tj  see  whut 


nil 


WAR  DECLARED. 


303 


the  Yankees  would  do,  but  seeing  no  violence 
offered,  most  of  them  returned  to  their  liomes. 
The  following  day  guns  were  planted  on  the  hill 
commanding  the  town,  and  a  fort  was  commenced. 
Proclamations  were  issued  to  the  people,  and  the 
Commodore  no\v^  signed  himself  "  Governor  and 
Commander-in-chief  of  the  Territory  of  California." 

August  17th,  Major  Fremont  started  in  p-.rsuitof 
Gov.  Pio  Pico  ;  he  had  left  the  Pueblo  with  Cas- 
tro, and  it  was  known  he  had  not  left  the  country, 
but  was  secreted  at  his  ranche.  He  had  taken 
away  the  government  archives,  and  it  was  desirable 
to  possess  them.  The  same  day  the  United  States 
ship  Warren  arrived  at  San  Pedro  from  Mazatlan, 
with  the  first  official  news  that  war  was  declared. 
An  officer  from  the  Warren  arrived  in  town  with 
despatches  just  as  the  band  was  leaving  the  plaza 
at  sunset  for  their  quarters.  They  were  ordered 
back,  and  the  troops  ordered  out  to  hear  the  news 
read ;  it  was  received  with  nine  hearty  cheers,  the 
band  playing  "  The  Star  Spangled  Banner." 

Feeling  that  I  could  now  attend  to  my  own  busi- 
ness without  any  risk,  the  Commodore  gave  me 
jDcrmission  to  go  towards  San  Diego ;  therefore, 
after  visiting  the  ship,  I  started  the  next  morning 
with  a  good  horse,  and  accompraiied  by  an  Indian 
*'  bucquero,"  a  boy  to  take  care  of  the  horses,  and 
arrived  at  "San  Juan  Capistrano"  at  sundown, 
calling  at  a  number  of  ranches,  and  making  the 
whole  distance,  sixty-four  miles,  using  the  same 
horse.  On  the  road  I  passed  some  of  the  bellig- 
erent Californians,  who  had  left  Castro,  and  wanted 


15  * 


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it 

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? 


304 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


to  return  to  their  homes,  but  were  afraid  to  do  so. 
I  assured  them  that  they  had  only  to  go  to  Los 
Angelos  and  sign  their  paroles,  and  they  would 
remain  unmolested.  At  one  place  on  the  river  St. 
Anita  I  came  upon  a  party  of  soldiers  who  had  just 
killed  a  bullock,  and  were  preparing  for  a  feast. 
Most  of  them  knew  me,  and,  in  fact,  were  my  debt- 
ors for  goods.  Some  of  them  were  under  the 
influence  of  aquadiente,  and  could  easil}'^  have 
squared  accounts  with  me  by  throwing  a  lasso  over, 
or  putting  a  bullet  through  me,  but  no  molestation 
was  offered  except  in  a  hilarious  manner.  These 
people  had  always  been  well  treated  on  board  our 
ships,  and  we  hajl  confidence  in  them  that  was 
seldom  misplaced. 

At  San  Juan  I  found  two  of  Pio  Pico's  officers 
and  relations  with  their  families — Covoruvius,  his 
Secretary,  and  Ignacio  Valle,  Administrador  of  the 
Custom  House.  These  persons  were  visiting  a  sis- 
ter of  Pico's,  Donna  Isadofe  Foster,  whose  husband 
was  the  proprietor  of  the  Mission  at  this  place, 
both  of  whom  vvere  very  excellent  people.  Mr. 
Foster  was  an  Englishman,  long  resident  in  the 
country  ;  at  his  hospitable  house,  I  was  always  per- 
fectly at  home.  The  families  here  now  were  in 
great  tribulation  at  the  state  of  their  country,  and 
the  danger  of  their  relatives.  Of  course  tiiey 
could  not  be  as  cordial  as  formerly  (especially  the 
females),  as  my  countr3'men  w.erc  in  pursuit  of 
theirs,  and  perhaps  to  the  death.  But  I,  being  an 
old  acquaintance,  and  an  intimate  friend  of  the 
family,   met  with   kindness  and  attention  at  their 


JK. 


Ill 


305 


D  do  so. 
to  Los 

f  would 
river  St. 
had  JList 
a  feast, 
ny  debt- 
ider  the 
il)'^  have 
sso  over, 
testation 
.  These 
oard  our 
that  was 

's  officers 
avius,  his 
or  of  the 
ing  a  sis- 
husband 
is  place, 
)le.     Mr. 
t  in    the 
vays  per- 
were   in 
ntry,  and 
rsc    they 
cially  the 
n'suit   of 
being  an 
of  the 
at  their 


THE   TERRIBLE  FREMONT. 

hands ;  and  was  enabled,  while  here,  to  alleviate 
their  fears,  and  to  convince  them  that  Fremont  was 
not  such  a  man  as  he  was  represented  to  be  by  Cas- 
tro. The  next  day,  while  at  dinner,  one  of  Fre- 
mont's men  came  to  the  door  with  the  respects 
of  the  Colonel  to  Mr.  Foster,  saying  that  lie  had 
just  stopped,  with  his  party,  in  the  old  Vineyard, 
and  requested  to  have  a  piece  of  beef  to  cook  under 
the  trees.  The  man  was  pointed  to  half  a  bullock 
hanging  up,  and  told  to  help  himself.  The  company 
at  the  table  stopped  eating,  aud,  pale  with  aflVight, 
were  about  retreating  to  their  rooms  to  avoid  appre- 
hended danger ;  but  I  assured  them  that  if  they  re- 
mained they  would  be  agreeably  disappointed  in 
the  man,  and  could  make  favorable  intercession  for 
their  husbands  and  brothers  who  were  in  arms 
against  him.  They  remained.  I  went  with  Mr. 
Foster,  and  introduced  him  to  the  Colonel.  We 
found  him  with  only  his  lidy-guard.  In  conse- 
quence of  information  I  had  sent  him  at  San  Diego, 
of  the  official  declaration  of  war,  he  had  left  his 
party  there  under  Lieut.  Gillespie,  and  was  hasten- 
ing to  communicate  with  the  Commodore  at  Los 
Angelos.  He  declined  an  invitation  to  go  to  the 
house,  as  he  was  not  in  a  plight  to  appear  before 
ladies  ;  but  he  wished  me  to  say  to  the  people  at  the 
house  that  no  injury  was  intended  towards  Don 
Pio  ;  and  he  had  left  a  letter  to  be  sent  to  him,  as- 
surins:  him  cf  safe  conduct  and  honorable  treat- 
ment  if  he  gave  himself  up,  but  warning  him  that 
if  he  neglected  to  do  so,  he  would  be  liable  to 
be  shot.  The  California  gentlemen  at  the  house 
20 


I 


I  \ 


\  J! 

T  i'' 

&  i! 
[  i 


1  ! 


ill 


Ijtv 


^!;i! 


■^.r----'-''i '  ■■^"■v,.-V'T 


306 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


were  also  advised  to  go  to  Pueblo  and  give  their 
pcT'oles  before  the  di.y  of  grace  should  expire.  He 
said  "  that  he  v^ras  tired,  and  his  people  were  so 
much  harassed  in  hunting  up  fugitives,  that  if  he 
was  compelled  to  go  out  after  them  again  he 
should  bring  in  no  prisoners."  In  the  evening  I 
communicated  to  the  families  the  assertions  of 
Col.  Fremont,  causing  them  to  feel  quite  easy,  and 
the  gentlemen  concluded  to  join  me  on  my  return 
to  Pueblo.  On  my  way  to  San  Diego,  I  met  Pio 
at  his  ranche ;  he  seemed  satisfied  that  entire  sub- 
mission, under  the  circumstances,  was  best,  and 
that  to  keep  good  faith  in  dealing  with  the  Amer- 
ican ofllcers  was  the  best  policy  for  him  to  pursue. 


;>'t''>.' 


i  11 


II 


STORT  OF  THE    WAR  CONTINUED. 


307 


ve  their 
ire.    He 
were  so 
bat  if  be 
igain   he 
vening  I 
•tions  of 
easy,  and 
ny  return 
met  Pio 
ntire  sub- 
best,  and 
:he  Amer- 
to  pursue. 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

THE    STORY   OF   THE    WAR    CONTINUED. 

IN  a  few  days  I  was  at  Pueblo,  and  found  Gov- 
ernor Stockton  giving  audience  every  day  to  the 
people  of  the  country;  and  Lieut.  Gray,  who  un- 
derstood and  spoke  Spanish,  was  managing  the 
judiciary  department.  Everything  seemed  to  be 
moving  on  quietly  and  satisfactorily.  There  was 
no  apparent  necessity  for  a  largcforce  remaining 
at  this  i^lace,  and  the  Comniodore  returned  to  his 
ship,  with  his  web-feet  regiment.  During  their 
stay  at  Los  Angelos,  and  their  march  to  and  from, 
the  conduct  of  the  entire  command  had  been  such 
as  to  merit  the  unqualified  approbation  bf  their 
officers,  while  the  people  of  the  country  had  no 
reason  for  complaint ;  private  property  was  re- 
spected, and  no  violence  oiTered  to  any  one.  The 
Commodore's  fine  band  did  as  much  as,  and  perhaps 
more,  to  induce  the  people  to  return  to  their  homes 
and  become  reconciled,  than  all  his  proclamations 
of  amnesty  and  protection.  The  Californians 'are 
extravagantly  fond  of  music.  A  full  band  was 
never  heard  before  in  the  countrv,  and  it  was  amus- 
ing  to  see  its  effect  in  di  awing  them  out  of  their 
hiding-places. 

The  first  evening  after  the  occupation,  the  Com- 


III 


4 


m 


3o8 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


Jil 


modore  sent  for  me,  to*  ask  my  opinion  about  his 
proclamations,  and  as  to  wiiom,  where,  and  how 
they  should  be  sent,  suggesting,  that  as  I  was 
known  to  the  rancheros,  and  was  a  non-combatant, 
no  better  rnedium  could  be  found  than  myself.  In 
turn,  I  suggested  to  liim  that  music  by  the  band  for 
one  hour  in  the  plaza  each  day,  about  sunset,  which 
all  could  appreciate,  would  be  more  instrumentalxw 
harmonizing  the  people  than  written  proclamations," 
which  but  few  of  them  could  read.  My  suggestion 
was  adopted,  and  the  results  were  soon  evident. 
At  first  the  children  on  the  hill  ventured  down  and 
peeped  round  the  corners  of  the  houses.  A  few 
lively  tunes  brought  out  the  "  vivas"  of  the  elder 
ones,  and  before  closing  for  the  day  quite  a  circle 
of  delighted  natives  surrounded  the  musicians. 
The  following  afternoon,  the  people  from  ranches 
at  a  distance,  hearing  of  the  wonderful  perform- 
ance, began  to  come  in.  I  saw  the  old  priest  of 
the  mission  of  San  Gabriel  sitting  by  the  church 
door,  opposite  the  plaza,  and  introduced  him  to 
some  of  the  officers.  The  old  man  said  he  had  not 
heard  a  band  since  he  left  Spain,  over  fifty  years 
ago.  "  Ah  !  "  said  he,  "  that  music  will  do  more 
service  in  the  conquest  of  California  than  a  thou- 
sand bayonets." 

Before  the  withdrawal  of  the  naval  forces,  a  fort 
was  erected  on  the  hill,  and  a  small  garrison  of 
Fremowt's  men  left,  with  Lieut.  Gillespie  in  com- 
mand. The  Commodore,  with  his  ships,  sailed 
for  other  points  of  the  coast,  and,  with  the  Moscow., 
I  left  San  Pedro  for  the  North.     On  my  way  up  I 


A   STRANGE  CRAFT. 


309 


called  at  the  little  island  of  Santa  Barbara,  to  ob- 
tain a  supply  of  elephant-oil.  With  two  boats,  I 
left  the  vessel  at  a  mile  distant  from  the  shore. 
The  landing  was  so  closely  packed  with  hair-seal, 
that  a  boat  could  not  be  hauled  up  until  a  place 
was  cleared  for  her,  by  driving  otf  the  seal.  As 
their  skins  would  be  worth  only  fifty  cents  apiece 
when  cured,  it  would  not  pay  to  take  them. 

The  sea-elephant  were  not  numerous,  or  in  very 
good  condition ;  we  killed  about  twenty  of  them, 
took  their  blubber  on  board,  and  the  same  night 
anchored  at  the  port  of  Santa  Barbara,  on  the  main, 
where  the  blubber  was  taken  on  shore  and  tried 
out,  producing  about  five  hundred  gallons  of  good 
oil.  I  have  previously  described  these  animals, 
and  the  manner  of  taking  them ;  the  only  differ- 
ence here  was  that  we  shot  them  through  the  head, 
as  we  had  no  lances. 

At  Santa  Barbara,  Midshipman  Mitchell,  with 
ten  men  from  the  Congress^  had  been  left  to  oc- 
cupy the  place.  A  few  days  after  my  arrival, 
mine  being  the  only  vessel  in  port,  we  saw  a  brig 
coming  in,  with  Mexican  colors  flying.  Fear- 
ing that  the  vessel  might  be  a  privateer,  we  made 
all  the  preparation  in  our  power  for  defence. 
When  she  anchored  it  was  evident  she  was  un- 
armed. Thinking  that  perhaps  she  had  not  heard 
of  the  war,  I  oftered  the  use  of  my  boat  to  Mitchell, 
to  capture  her,  which  he  accepted.  Previous  to 
this,  the  Captain  of  the  brig  and  two  passengers 
had  landed.  They  asked  why  the  American  flag 
was  flying,  and  professed   ignorance   of  the   war. 


intty 


!  I.i? 


la 


/     I 
Pi  J 


1 


I    1 11 


310 


FO/?E  AND  AFT. 


\U 


One  of  the  passengers  stated  that  he  was  an  English 
officer  from  Mazathm,  with  despatches  for  his  Ad- 
miral. Detaining  the  party  on  shore,  Mitchell  put 
a  prize-crew  onboard,  and  requested  me  to  keep  a 
watch  on  her  during  the  night.  The  next  morning 
he  came  on  board  with  the  bearer  of  despatches, 
and  informed  me  that  hq  should  not  detain  the 
vessel,  saying  that  he  had  concluded  to  let  the 
English  officer  proceed.  I  was  introduced  to  Mr. 
McRay,  the  person  in  question,  and  in  a  short  time 
I  felt  justified  in  stating  my  opinion  to  Mitchell, 
that  this  person  was  a  Yankee ;  that  the  coat  and 
boots  he  wore  were  not  made  in  England,  and  he 
ought  not  to  let  him  go  so  easy.  Inviting  him  to 
dinner  on  board,  I  quizzed  the  gentleman  till  I 
was  satisfied  that  he  was  not  what  he  purported  to 
to  be.  During  dinner  the  cry  of  "  Sail  ho  ! "  brought 
us  to  the  deck.  Looking  at  the  approaching  ship 
with  the  glass,  I  reported  her  to  be  the  frigate 
Congress.  "  Then,"  says  Mr.  McRay,  "  I  throw 
off  my  disguise.  I  am  of  the  United  States  Navy. 
I  left  Washington  the  day  after  the  declaration  of 
war,  with  despatches  for  Commodore  Stockton. 
In  the  disguise  of  a  British  officer  I  crossed  the 
continent  to  Acapulco,  and  as  such  engaged  my 
passage  in  th's  brig,  which  is  protected,  being 
owned  by  British  subjects  in  Mexico." 

Immediately  on  anchoring,  the  Commodore 
made  a  proposition  to  charter  my  vessel  during  the 
war ;  furnishing  an  armament,  and  the  requisite 
men  from  his  ship,  and  giving  me  a  commission  to 
cruise  against  privateers  and  for  the  protection  of 


m 


'  <->^  . 


i  i 


A   SMALL   REBELLION. 


311 


jinglish 
lis  Ad- 
lell  put 

keep  a 
noruing 
patches, 
a  in   the 

let   the 
1  to  Mr. 
ort  time 
ditchell, 
:oat  and 
[,  and  he 
y  him  to 
an  till  I 
ported  to 
'  brought 
iiing  ship 
e    frigate 

I  throw 

es  Navy. 
ration  of 
Stockton, 
ossed  the 
raged  my 
;d,  being 

)mmodore 
luring  the 
requisite 
mission  to 
►tection  of 


whale-ships ;  but  my  coast  business  demanding 
all  my  attention,  I  had  to  decline  the  offer. 
Mitchell  and  his  party  were  taken  on  board  the 
Congress^  and  the  garrison  on  shore  was  to  consist 
of  Lieut.  Talbot,  of  Fremont's  party,  and  ten  of 
his  men.  Arriving  at  San  Francisco  the  latter 
part  of  September,  1  found  here  the  Congress^ 
Portsmouth^  and  Savannah^  ships-of-war.  The 
ship  Sterling  was  at  Sansilito,  waiting  my  orders. 
With  the  crews  of  my  two  vessels,  I  put  up  a  house, 
prepared  vats,  and  what  was  necessary  for  curing 
and  drying  hides,  at  Sansilito,  and  also  commenced 
building  a  schooner  to  be  used  in  the  bay.  ^ 

The  first  of  October,  Commodore  Stockton  re- 
ceived intelligence  from  below  that  the  Californians 
had  rebelled,  that  Gillespie  had  been  attacked  by  a 
large  force,  a  number  of  his  men  killed,  and  that 
he  was  hemmed  in.  In  the  course  of  the  day,  the 
fellow  who  broughi-  these  tidings  was  picked  up 
drunk,  and  carried  to  the  flag-ship.  The  only  com- 
munication he  had  in  writing  was  contained  in  the 
wrapping  of  a  paper  cigar,  which  was  — "  Believe 
the  bearer,"  with  Gillespie's  seal.  The  man  said 
he  escaped  from  the  Pueblo  in  the  night ;  that  four 
hundred  men  were  besieging  our  forces  there,  who 
would  have  to  surrender,  as  their  supplies  and 
water  were  cut  off.  Also,  that  Santa  Barbara  and 
San  Diego  had  been  retaken.  The  frigate  Savan- 
nah., Captain  Mervine,  was  immediately  ordered 
down  to  relieve  Gillespie ;  and  the  Commodore 
sent  a  courier  after  Fremont,  who  was  now  at  the 
Sacramento,  with  instructions  to  raise  all  the  force 


•  ill 


■-  %.  '■  II! 


t  f  If  p 


I'l^ 


>  f: 


'm 


313 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


i' 


I ) 


he  could,  and  hasten  to  San  Francisco,  to  embark 
down  the  coast.  The  Commodore  chartered  the 
Sterling  io  convey  Fremont  and  his  troops  to  their 
destination,  and  then  she  was  to  proceed  to  San 
Diego  to  save  the  hides  which  I  had  at  that  place, 
and  was  now  fearful  of  losing,  consisting  of  over 
20,000  dried  and  cured,  packed  away  in  a  hide-house 
on  the  beach.  On  the  fourteenth  of  October,  the 
Sterlings  Captain  Vincent,  sailed  with  Major  Fre- 
mont and  about  two  hundred  riflemen,  to  be  landed 
at  any  place  designated  by  Fremont.  The  Congress 
sailed  the  same  day  for  San  Pedro.  Fremont's  in- 
^ntion  was  to  land  at  Santa  Barbara  in  the  night, 
and  capture  the  place,  seize  all  the  horses  tliere, 
and  by  a  forced  march  on  Los  Angelos,  fall  upon 
the  Californians  before  they  knew  he  was  advanc- 
ing on  them.  Stockton  was  to  land  at  San  Pedro, 
and  going  over  the  same  ground  again  in  connec- 
tion with  Fremont's  forces,  to  reoccupy  the  Pueblo, 
hoping,  also,  that  Gillsepie  would  be  able  to  hold 
out  until  relieved. 

Oct,  i  ;th  I  received  a  letter  from  Captain  Vin- 
cent f'om  Monterey,  stating,  that  on  speaking  a 
vessel  from  the  lower  ports,  and  ascertaining  that 
Captain  Mervine  had  been  defeated  by  the  Califor- 
nians  on  his  march  to  the  Pueblo,  and  had  fallen 
back  to  his  ship  with  considerable  loss,  and 
that  Santa  Barbara  was  retaken  by  the  enemy, 
and  all  the  Americans  there  were  prisoners,  Fre- 
mont requested  him  to  land  him  and  his  party  at 
Monterey,  as  being  the  only  place  where  he  '^ould 
procure  horses,  as  all  the  country  below  this  was  in 


I  ill 


^11 


A  BRILLIANT  AFFAIR. 


3^3 


embark 
■red  the 

to  their 

to  S:in 
it  place, 

of  over 
Ic-house 
)ber,  the 
AJor  Fre- 
ic  landed 
Congress 
»ont's  in- 
he  night, 
,es  there, 
fall  upon 
s  advanc- 
,11  Pedro, 
1  connec- 
e  Pueblo, 
-  to  hold 

tain  Vin- 

aeaking  a 
ning  that 

le  Califor- 
ad  fallen 
loss,    and 

le  enemy, 
iiers,  Fre- 
is  party  at 
e  he  ".ould 
;his  was  in 


h 


possession  of  tlie  rebels.  Commodore  Stockton  ar- 
riving at  San  Pedro,  found  that  Gillespie  had  been 
obliged  to  capitulate,  and  was  allowed  to  proceed 
to  the  port,  and  there  embark  on  board  ship.  A 
whaling-ship  happened  in  there  at  this  time,  and 
was  chartered  to  take  them  to  San  Diego.  The 
Congress  also  proceeded  thither  to  organize  a 
force  to  march  on  Los  Angelos  by  land,  from  that 
place. 

We  now  received  an  account  of  Lieutenant  Tal- 
bot's expedition  from  Santa  Barbara.  The  affair, 
though  on  a  small  scale,  was  one  of  the  most  bril- 
liant occurrences  during  the  war  in  California. 
With  his  small  force  of  ten  men,  one  of  whom  was 
sick,  he  was  surrounded  by  over  a  hundred  Califor- 
nians,  well  mounted  and  well  armed,  and  sum- 
moned to  surrender.  He  required  an  hour  to 
consider  the  question;  it  was  granted:  during 
which  time  his  men  entered  their  barracks  and 
packed  their  knapsacks.  Before  the  time  had  ex- 
pired they  came  out,  bringing  their  sick  man  with 
them.  Again  the  mob  ordered  them  to  lay  down 
their  arms,  or  "  they  should  receive  no  quarter." 
But  these  men,  though  few  in  number,  never  had 
laid  down  their  arms,  and  they  did  not  intend  to 
do  it  now.  Forming  his  men  in  line,  with  their 
backs  against  the  wall  of  the  adobe  building,  the 
Lieutenant  told  the  Californians  that  they  never 
would  surrender,  and  were  ready  for  their  attack. 
The  enemy  made  feints  of  attacking,  an!  loud 
threats,  but  this  was  all.  They  knew  that  at  the 
first  onset  ten  saddles  would  be  emptied,  and  there 


B)  .1 


M 


\%  \ 


^' 


iH 


I 

I 


B  1; 

I 

I 
"i 


:l 


fi 


I'M 

;•,  I. 


i 
t 


! 

i 


f  r  J 


T? 


a '' 


m 


I 


ijii  .iM 


Ifi^ 


I 


'!'■'■ 


iiii  ; 


3'^! 


i^ 


314 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


woulfl  still  remain  sixty  pistol-shots,  which  would 
not  be  thrown  awrf}\  Terms  of  surrender  were 
proposed  and  rejected ;  still  the  attack  was  not 
made.  The  Fremontcrs  dared  them  to  advance  ; 
they  told  them  they  were  cowards,  and  laughed 
them  to  scorn,  and  finally,  as  they  could  do  nothing 
better,  formed  themselves  in  something  of  a  hollow 
square,  and  marched  off  towards  the  mountains, 
carrying  their  sick  man  with  them.  The  "  caba- 
leros  "  accompanied  the  brave  squad,  reviling  them. 
Gaining  a  hill  back  of  the  Mission,  they  halted  for 
a  rest,  but  it  was  not  allowed  them.  The  dry  grass 
around  them  was  set  on  fire,  and  again  they  were 
compelled  to  resume  their  march.  At  length  the 
mountains  were  reached,  and  the  brawling  escort 
left  them.  Crossing  the  coast  range  of  mountains 
where  best  they  could,  a  march  was  taken  up  for 
Monterey,  where  they  arrived,  after  great  suffering, 
about  the  tenth  of  November. 

Fremont  was  making  exertions  to  obtain  horses 
and  cooperate  with  Stockton,  and  at  length,  after 
much  hardship  and  severe  toil,  his  party  left  Santa 
Barbara  over  four  hundred  strong,  but  very  poorly 
mounted,  for  Los  Angelos,  while  the  Commodore 
was  also  advancing  from  San  Diego.  General 
Kearney  arrived  at  San  Diego,  from  New  Mexico, 
a  few  days  before  the  Commodore's  force  was 
ready  to  start.  A  few  days  previous  General  Kear- 
ney was  attacked  by  a  party  of  Californians  under 
Andreas  Pico  (a  brother  of  Pio),  near  San  Pascual. 
This  time  the  Californians  made  a  good  fight,  iti 
which  the  Americans  suffered  severely  ;  and  but  for 


REPULSE    OF   GEN.   KEARNEY. 


315 


h  would 
er  were 
was  not 
idvaiice  ; 
laughed 
»  nothing 
a  hollow 
ountahis, 
;  "  caba- 
ing  them, 
alted  for 
dry  grass 
hey  were 
Dngth  the 
nsr  escort 
nountains 
3n  up  for 
suffering, 

lin  horses 
gth,  after 
eft  Santa 
ry  poorly 
mmodore 

General 
V  Mexico, 
orce   was 

ral  Kear- 
ans  under 
11  Pascual. 
fight,  in 
nd  but  for 


a  relief  party  sent  to  meet  them  by  Commodore 
Stockton,  from  San  Diego,  the}'^  could  scarcely  have 
maintained  themselves.  They  lost  two  captains 
and  sixteen  men  Killed,  and  many  wounded.  The 
Californians  in  this  affaii'  were  commanded  by  An- 
dreas Pico,  one  of  the  most  active  and  enersfetic 
men  of  the  country.  A  few  weeks  after  this  disas- 
trous, and,  as  many  people  in  California  thought, 
disgraceful,  defeat  of  General  Kearney's  forces,  I 
met  with  Pico,  and,  in  speaking  of  his  successful 
attack,  he  said  that  he  found  Kearney's  men 
straggling  in  small  parties,  and  without  any  apparent 
discipline.  He  expected  only  to  harass  tlicm,  and 
periiaps  pick  up  some  stragglers,  but  they  afforded  an 
opportunity  for  attack  which  he  could  not  resist. 
They  were  probably  worn  down  by  a  long  and 
tedious  march,  were  near  the  end  of  their  journe}', 
and  having  heard  of  the  conquest  of  California  by 
Stockton  and  Fremont,  naturall3'  supposed  that  their 
further  progress  to  San  Diego  would  be  uninter- 
rupted. But  the  insurrection  had  taken  place,  and 
General  Kearney's  arrival  was  during  its  height. 
Whether  fault  or  carelessness  was  the  cause  of  this 
disaster,  I  cannot  say ;  but  certainly  it  was  a  dis- 
credit to  the  American  arms. 

The  repulse  of  Captain  Mervine  was  quite 
another  afVair.  He  arrived  at  San  Pedro  with  the 
frigate  Savannah^  and  found  that  Gillespie  v^•as 
surrounded  at  Los  Anirclos,  and  must  surrender  if 
not  relieved.  As  many  men  as  could  be  spared 
from  the  ship  were  landed,  and  were  joined  by  a 
small  party  of  riflemen  who  happened  to  be  there. 


X    ''i     . ., 


fl 


'I 


^1 


3i6 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


■3,-U 


(i 


\   \- 


They  could  not  obtain  a  horse  or  a  bullock  to  draw 
artillery,  so  they  went  without  any,  and  all  on  foot. 
General  Flores,  with  about  three  hundred  men,  met 
them  about  a  third  of  the  distance  from  the  port  to 
Los  Angelos.  The  Californians,  well  mounted  and 
having  a  piece  of  artillery,  advanced  to  meet  Cap- 
tain Mervine's  party  at  a  convenient  distance,  when, 
keeping  out  of  rifle  range,  they  alighted  from  their 
horses,  discharged  their  cannon  at  *h ."  Americans, 
who  were  advancing  in  a  solid  i'o;'  i'emounted, 
and  run  ofT  their  gun  to  reload  't,  and  returned  to 
repeat  the  evolution  ;  three  or  four  times  this  was 
done.  Captain  Mervine,  at  the  head  of  his  men, 
was  gallantly  leading  them  on,  but  could  not  get  near 
the  foe.  The  fight  was  all  on  one  side  ;  his  men  were 
dropping  at  every  discharge,  seven  or  eight  were 
killed  and  others  wounded  :  proceeding  at  this  rate 
was  out  of  the  question,  and  they  were  compelled  to 
fall  back  to  the  ship,  carrying  their  dead  and  wounded 
with  them.  The  Californians  did  not  follo^v  i:;\om, 
for  the  reason  (as  it  appeared  aftervvard..  ■  ;'vv  Uie 
ammunition  of  their  field-piece  was  expei.  k  ..'  ip- 
tain  Mervine,  of  course,  could  not  know  thu  i^^d 
took  what  seemed  to  him  to  be  the  only  cci.^'  to 
save  his  men.  Captain  Mervine,  in  this  aifair,  would 
have  been  blamed,  had  he  not  made  the  attcmot  to 
aid  Gillespie:  his  zeal  and  courage  impelled  him  to 
the  rescue  ;  he  cared  noth, ng  about  the  enemy,  if  he 
could  only  get  at  them  ;  this  hn  expeclj'  to  do,  bi.t 
was  disappointed.  The  mis*^  <  was  in  ,  ;  •  rving 
a  carriage-gun. 

Having  completed  'il,"  preparations,  Commodore 


•  ■??■■•    r-r  ■^-'n-; 


--™ 


ROUT  OF  GEN.  FLO  RES. 


317 


to  draw 
I  on  foot, 
men,  met 
le  port  to 
mted  and 
leet  Cap- 
ce,  when, 
•om  their 
mericans, 
mounted, 
turned  to 
this  was 
his  men, 
^t  jret  near 
men  were 
io-ht  were 
it  this  rate 
npcllcd  to 
I  wounded 
lo'.v  j;;\em, 
th-v  ihe 
k  "'     ".'-P- 
thi:     -l^^d 
cc.i.^'   to 
air,  would 
attempt  to 
led  him  to 
emy,  if  he 
to  do,  but 
"  nving 

ommodore 


Stockton  left  San  Diego  December  29th,  with  a  force 
of  about  five  hundred  men  from  the  ships,  fifty 
mounted  riflemen,  and  sixty  United  States  dragoons, 
v.'ith  six  pieces  of  cannon.  All  the  carts,  wagons 
aid  animals  to  be  found  at  San  Diego  r.nd  the 
riinchcs  in  the  vicinity,  were  pressed  into  the  ser- 
vice. All  the  condemned  wheels  of  the  mission 
W'^re  brought  in,  and  Carpenter  Southwick,  of  the 
dmgress^  with  his  gang  of  carpenters  and  armorers, 
wi  s  employed  in  improvising  a  train  of  wheel  vehi- 
cles of  the  most  heterogeneous  character ;  spars, 
blocks,  ropes  and  canvas,  from  the  ships,  were  used 
in  Ihe  construction,  and  the  fitting  out  altogether 
had,  quite  an  amphibious  appearance. 

The  command  was  cour'.eously  offered  to  General 
Kearney  by  the  Commodore,  but  was  declined ;  the 
General  accompanied  the  parly.  After  a  march  of 
ten  days,  they  arrived  at  the  Rio  San  Gabriel  the 
eighth  of  January,  distant  from  San  Diego  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  miles.  The  enemy  were  found  in 
a  strong  position  on  the  western  bank,  with  six 
hundred  mounted  men  and  four  pieces  of  artillery, 
prepared  to  dispute  the  passage  of  the  troops  across 
the  river.  The  Ct/mmodore  ordered  the  crossing, 
which  Ni'us  made  u'lder  a  galling  fire  from  the  enemy. 
The  men  widcd  the  river,  dragging  their  cannon 
after  them  ;  not  a  shot  was  returned  until  the  oppo- 
site shore  was  gained,  when  the  fighting  became 
general ;  a  charge  was  made  by  the  enemy  and  re- 
pulsed by  our  men,  who,  in  their  turn,  charged  up 
the  bank  and  routed  General  Flores  and  his  entire 
force.     The  next  day  the  march  was  resumed  across 


III 
t 


3i8 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


\  m 


i  : 


the  plains  of  the  "  Mesa,"  during  which  Flores 
made  another  desperate  effort  to  save  the  capital. 
Concealed  in  a  ravine  with  their  artillery  masked, 
the  enemy  opened  on  the  American  flank  when 
within  gun-shot,  and  charged  at  the  same  time  in 
"front  and  rear.  The  Commodore  silenced  their  guns, 
repelled  the  charge,  and  the  enemy  fled.  The  next 
morning  the  amphibious  army  entered  and  reoccu- 
pied  the  town  without  further  molestation. 

Commodore  Stockton's  skill  in  naval  gunnery  is 
well  known.  A  little  occurrence  on  this  occasion 
showed  that  such  a  reputation  was  merited.  One 
of  the  eaiemy'sguns  had  been  very  annoying  on  the 
right  flank.  The  Commodore  ordered  his  gunners 
to  silence  it,  but  a  number  of  shots  failed  to  do  so. 
The  Commodore  got  wrathy  ;  jumping  oft' his  horse 
he  sighted  the  gun  himself,  and  the  next  discharge 
dismounted  the  gun,  sending  fragments  of  the  car- 
riage high  in  the  air.  The  officer  who  related  this 
to  me,  added,  "  I  never  before  believed  in  sighting 
a  ship's  s^nooth  bore-gun,  but  was  now  convinced 
that  there  was  skill  and  science  displayed  by  the 
Commodore  in  the  matter." 

The  flag  was  rehoisted  on  the  eleventh  of  Jan- 
uary. Flores,  in  fleeing  from  Stockton,  fell  into  the 
arms'  of  Fremont,  near  San  Fernando.  The  terms 
of  caiDitulation  were  agreed  upon,  and  a  complete 
surrender  made  on  the  fourteenth.  This  was  called  the 
"Capitulation  of  Cowenga,"  and  was  tlia  termina- 
tion of  the  war  so  far  as  California  was  concerned. 
Kearney,  with  his  dragoons,  left  for  San  Diego  on 
the  eighteenth  of  January,  1847,  and  Commodore 


■PR 


THE  GOVERNMENT  ORGANIZED, 


319 


m\ 


\  Flores 
capital, 
masked, 
ik  when 
;  time  in 
icir  guns, 
The  next 
d  reoccu- 

.innery   is 
5  occasion 
:cd.     One 
msf  on  the 
is  gunners 
I  to  do  so. 
f  his  horse 
J  discharge 
)f  the  car- 
elated  this 
n  sighting 
convinced 
ed  by  the 


ith  of  Jan- 
ell  into  the 
The  terms 
a  complete 
is  called  the 
1(2  tormina- 
concerned. 
II  Diego  on 
!^ommodore 


Stockton,  with  an  escort,  left  for  the  same  place  the 
following  day. 

There  is  one  point  in  the  history  of  California 
which  I  think  will  remain  undisputed,  viz.  :  that  to 
Stockton  and  Fremont,  with  their  respective  forces, 
belongs  the  honor  of  the  capture  and  conquest  of 
California.  Theso  tv/o  Commanders  harmonized 
with  and  supported  each  other.  After  the  departure 
of  Stockton,  the  battalion  was  paraded,  and  the  ap- 
pointment of  Colonel  Fremont  as  Governor  by 
Commodore  Stockton  was  read  to  the  troops  by 
Colonel  W.  H.  Russell,  who  was  also  appointed 
Secretary  of  State.  The  ships'  crews  embarked  at 
San  Pedro  and  joined  their  respective  ships.  Dur- 
ing this  month  Commodore  Shubrick,  in  the  United 
States  ship  Independence^  arrived  at  Monterey, 
ranking  and  relieving  Stockton,  and  assumed  the 
command  of  the  T(  ritory  of  California.  The  fol- 
lowing March  General  Kearney  issued  his  procla- 
mation as  Governor  ;  shortly  after  he  received  orders 
to  return  home,  and  he  was  succeeded  by  Colonel 
Mason.  Then  came  the  regiment  of  volunteers  from 
New  York  by  sea,  commanded  by  Colonel  Steven- 
son. .  The  new  troops  now  arrived,  together  with 
those  previously  here,  were  sufficient  for  the  govern- 
ment of  the  country,  and  the  naval  officers  occupy- 
ing civil  offices  on  shore  were  ordered  to  their  ships. 

Chaplain  Colton,  of  the  Congress^  had  filled  in 
an  acceptable  manner  the  office  of  Alcalda  at  Mon- 
terey ;  he  was  also  appointed  Judge  of  Admiralty. 
With  the  fines  collected  from  the  transgressors  at 
Monterey,  he  caused  the  erection  of  a  fine  school- 


!;  :■« 


320 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


n 


itii 


house,  and,  in  partnership  with  Doctor  Robert  Sam- 
ple, he  started  and  conducted  the  first  newspaper  in 
California.  Mr.  Colton  won  the  respect  and  esteem 
of  all  who  knew  him.  Lieutenant  W.  A.  Bartlett 
was  Alcalda  at  Yerba  Buena,  and  I  believe  per- 
formed the  duty  of  the  office  satisfactorily.  One  act 
of  this  officer  while  in  office,  was  to  change  the 
name  of  the  town  from  Yerba  Buena  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, much  to  the  disgust  of  the  residents.  About 
this  time  Commodore  Biddle  arrived  with  the  ship 
of  the  line  Columbus ;  and  during  the  summer  three 
American  Commodores'  pennants  were  flying  on 
their  respective  ships  in  the  same  port  at  one  time, 
the  red,  white  and  blue,  viz.  :  the  Columbus.^  Com- 
modore Biddle,  the  Independence.:  Commodore  Shu- 
biick,  and  the  Congress^  Commodore  Stockton, — 
a  circumstance  which  occurcd  for  the  first  time  in 
the  history  of  our  navy  in  San  Francisco. 

And  here  I  end  my  reminiscences  of  the  war  in 
California,  omitting  many  details  of  events  which  at 
this  late  date  might  fail  to  interest.  In  the  prosecu- 
tion of  my  own  business  I  had  loaded  and  despatched 
the  Sterling  to  Boston,  purchased  the  prize  brig 
Malek  Adhel^  and  continued  in  the  regular  trade 
of  the  coast  until  the  entire  derangement  of  affiiirs 
in  California  by  the  discovery  of  gold  ;  in  conse- 
quence of  which,  crews  could  not  be  retained  on 
board  ships.  Vessels  arriving  were  deserted  by  offi- 
cers and  men.  "  Bound  to  the  mines,  can't  do  an}'- 
thing  else,"  was  the  answer  of  every  one  who  was 
invited  to  take  service  in  any  employment ;  and,  in 
short,  no  one  could  be  trusted  to  do  a  day' s  work. 


U\ 


-  |wwy;--i' 


HOME  AGAIN. 


321 


ert  Sem- 
paper  in 
1  esteem 
.  Bartlett 
eve  per- 
Oiie  act 
aage  the 
;an  Fraii- 
i.     About 
1  the  ship 
mer  three 
flying  on 
;  one  tune, 
bus.,  Com- 
adore  Shu- 
tockton,  — 
irst  time  in 

the  war  in 
s  which  at 
|ie  prosecu- 
espatched 
iprize  brig 
rular  trade 
[t  of  affairs 
I;  in  consc- 
retaincd  on 
:ted  by  offi- 
In'  t  do  any- 
ke  who  was 
jit ;  and,  in 
lay's  work, 


whatever  the  price  agreed  upon  might  be.  When 
the  Governor  had  to  take  turns  with  another  high 
dignitary  in  doing  his  own  cooking,  no  other  com- 
mentary on  the  Stat*,  of  society  is  needed. 

After  twice  visiting  the  mines  to  find  debtors,  and 
for  purposes  of  trade,  I  embraced  a  favorable  oppor- 
tunity of  disposing  of  my  vessels  and  merchandise, 
and  leaving  the  country.  Gathering  up  the  frag- 
ments of  two  complicated  voyages,  I  left  the  coast 
in  the  bark  Tasso  for  Valparaiso,  the  twelfth  of 
October,  1S48,  but  did  not  reach  the  United  States 
until  the  February  following,  being  over  four  months 
on  the  passage  by  the  then  most  available  and  quick- 
est route,  taking  the  English  steamer  at  Valparaiso 
for  Panama,  and  calling  at  about  a  dozen  po^'ts  in 
Chili  and  Peru  on  the  way  to  the  Isthmus;  thence 
by  horse  to  Gorgona  on  the  Chagres,  and  down  the 
river  by  canoe  to  Chagres  Port.  Here  we  chartered 
a  schooner  to  take  us  to  Charleston,  S.  C. 
21 


1 1' 

i-  iii 


i  ll 


i' 


I,-?,"  M  '<•'  Ti^,^,'" 


322 


FOUE  AND  AFT, 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 


THE   LAST   VOYAGE. 


AS  the  narrative  began  with  my  first  voyage,  it 
seems  fitting  to  close  it  with  the  last.  Many 
voyages  have  been  omitted  in  the  foregoing  pages 
as  being  devoid  of  incident.  For  instance,  ten  voy- 
ages to  Liverpool,  taking  out  cotton  and  bringing 
back  a  cargo  of  salt  and  steerage  passengers  each 
time ;  the  history  of  one  voyage  would  be  repeated 
in  the  succeedhig  ones,  altogether  about  as  inter- 
esting as  ten  trips  in  a  crowded  omnibus  from  one 
end  of  the  city  to  the  other.  The  long  route  was 
always  my  choice.  Before  quitting  my  "ocean 
home  "  for  good,  I  felt  a  strong  desire  to  wind  up 
with  a  voyage  in  a  clipper  ship  around  the  world. 
I  assured  my  friends  that  it  should  be  my  last,  and 
they  tried  to  dissuade  me  from  it.  "  It  will  be 
your  last  voyage,  and  you  will  not  return  from  it," 
said  they  ;  "  you  had  better  stay  at  home."  I  was 
told  the  same  when  I  started  as  boy  on  my  first 
voyage.  The  path  of  duty  seemed  plain  before 
me,  and  I  heeded  not  their  croakings.  I  had  en- 
joyed the  comforts  of  home  for  over  five  years,  felt 
I  was  getting  rusty  and  lazy,  and  that  a  change  of 
base  was  necessary. 

I  left  Boston  on  the  morning  of  Christmas,  1854, 


THE  ''ARCADIAr 


323 


in  tlie  medium  clipper  ship  Arcadia^  for  California 
and  China.  ^\\d  Arcadia  was  a  new  ship,  belong- 
ing to  old  California  associates ;  she  was  well 
found,  and  equipped  in  a  most  thorough  manner ; 
but  when  the  shipping  of  the  crew  came,  I  found 
that  such  sailors  as  I  had  found  ready  at  hand  in 
my  previous  voyages,  were  not  now  to  be  had.  It 
is  true  that  many  candidates  offered  themselves ; 
all  were  desirous  of  going  to  the  land  of  gold.  I 
wanted  seamen,  and  all  who  applied  claimed  to  be 
such  ;  but  the  cut  of  their  jibs  told  a  ditTerent  story, 
and  day  after  day  they  were  rejected,  until  I  found 
that  I  was  reduced  to  a  "  Hobson's  choice";  so 
that  finallv,  if  a  heartv  looking  fellow  could  sav  he 
had  been  two  trips  a-fishing,  he  was  allowed  to 
sign  himself  an  able  seaman.  One  trip  outside  of 
Cape  Cod  qualified  the  ordinary  ones,  and  the  list 
was  completed.  At  the  Custom  House,  on  clearing, 
the  articles  purported  that  the  crew  consisted  of 
three  mates  and  carpenter,  eighteen  able  seamen, 
and  six  ordinary  ditto,  four  boys,  cook,  steward,  and 
"Jemmy  Ducks."  A  moderate  and  fair  wind  took 
us  clear  of  the  Cape  at  dark. 

Before  midnight  we  had  a  gale  from  the  southeast. 
The  light  sails  were  managed  tolerably  well,  but 
when  it  came  to  reefing  topsails,  I  found  that  we 
were  in  a  bad  fix.  One  reef  was  secured  in  the 
topsails,  but  when  a  second  reef  was  ordered,  there 
were  over  twenty  men  on  the  yard  sea-sick  and 
helpless.  The  ship  was  pitching  heavily,  and  the 
fellows  had  as  much  as  they  could  do  to  hold  on  to 
the  yard   and    disgorge  their  Christmas   feast.     It 


11 


1  I  !9 


ll 


ill 


if 


li  1' 


324 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


.u- 


t: 


1  i       i 


I 


was  impossible  to  get  the  ship  under  snug  sail  with 
such  a  crew  ;  so,  with  the  topsail-yards  on  the  caps, 
the  reef-tackles  hauled  out,  and  the  canvas  smoth- 
ered as  much  as  possible,  the  shif)  was  allowed  to 
drive  to  the  eastward  all  night  at  a  furious  rate, 
sometimes  driving  through  a  sea,  and  almost  jump- 
ing over  the  next.  It  was  a  tough  night,  but  not 
cold ;  the  decks  were  full  of  water  most  of  the 
time.  A  stout  plank  pig-pen  was  built  over  the 
main  hatch,  raised  a  foot  above  it  to  keep  the 
pigs  dry,  and  was  well  covered  over.  Tiiere  were 
thirty  good-sized  pigs  in  it.  When  the  gale  sub- 
sided the  next  morning,  twenty-four  of  them  were 
found  drowned  in  the  pen,  and  the  remaining  six 
had  their  bristles  all  chafed  off  by  washing  about. 
The  prospect  was  not  much  improved  by  the  sick 
and  disabled  specimens  of  humanity  who  had  ship- 
ped for  able  seamen,  and  who  were  now  pulled  out 
by  the  mate  fi-om  under  the  long-boat,  between  the 
spars  and  other  places  of  refuge,  pictures  of  misery 
and  despair.  And  I  must  say,  thr^t  on  a  survey  of 
the  field,  mingled  feelings  of  despair  and  vexation 
came  over  myself  as  I  now  fully  realized  the  extent 
of  the  imposition. 

My  chief  mate  was  an  excellent  sailor,  a  regular 
hard-fisted,  stout  down-easter ;  and  were  it  not  for 
my  interposition,  I  thought  he  would,  as  he  pulled 
the  lame  ducks  out  of  their  hiding-places,  have 
chucked  them  overboard  with  the  dead  pigs,  so 
great  was  his  wrath.  With  the  exception  of  the 
mate,  there  was  not  one  of  the  crew,  including  the 
under  officers,  who  could  have  passed  examination, 


ri.'.'IV 


A   SCHOOL  FOR  SAPLORS. 


325 


ii  with 
e  caps, 
smoth- 
>wed  to 
IS  rate, 
t  jump- 
but  not 
of  the 
>ver  the 
eep    the 
ne  were 
;;le  sub- 
em  were 
ning  six 
e  about, 
the  side 
lad  ship- 
uUed  out 
ween  the 
f  misery 
urvey  of  • 
vexation 
he  extent 

a  regular 
lit  not  for 
lie  pulled 
:es,   have 
pigs,  so 
)n  of  the 
ludi-ng  the 
Imination, 


according  to  their  rates  on  the  shipping  articles, 
before  even  a  Nautical  College.  What  had  become 
of  sailors  I  could  not  imagine  ;  neither  can  I  at  this 
day  satisfactorily  account  for  their  disappearance, 
but  I  know  that  other  ships'  crews  then  were  like 
my  own ;  whether  they  have  improved  since,  I 
know  not.  However,  the  male  opened  his  school 
for  their  iHstruction,  the  sessions  of  which  were 
neither  few  nor  far  between.  The  pupils  were 
well  fed,  well  treated,  and  well  trained,  so  that 
before  we  reached  the  Equator,  their  gymnastics 
aloft  would  have  astonished  even  Dr.  Dio  Lewis. 
Every  day  brought  with  it  practical  lessons,  accord- 
ing to  the  weather.  In  calms  the  boats  were  low- 
ered and  the  oar  exercise  practised  by  some,  while 
others  were  reefing  topsails  or  sending  up  and  down 
royal  yards,  rigging  in  and  out  studding-sail  booms, 
and  the  like  work.  Frequent  tacking  in  head  winds 
familiarized  them  with  their  stations,  and  thus  day 
by  day  their  efficiency  was  increased,  so  that  when 
we  arrived  in  the  vicinity  of  Cape  Horn,  all  were 
useful,  and  some  tolerable  sailors.  The  boys  were 
kept  separate  in  the  steerage,  and  bnd  opportunities 
allowed  them  to  become  naviga,' re  ;  but  not  much 
interest  could  be  felt  in  a  crew  who,  it  was  well 
known,  would  desert  the  ship  the  first  opportunity, 
and  whose  great  object  in  view  was  to  tread  the 
golden  streets  of  California. 

The  passage  to  the  Cape  was  a  good  one  ;  and 
from  fifty  degrees  south  in  the  Atlantic,  to  fifty 
degrees  south  in  the  Pacific,  accomplished  in  ninety 
days,  was  excellent.    From  some  considerable  expe- 


!■ 


! 


li-  ;l 


326 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


% 


,        li; 


I    I 


rience  in  these  latitudes,  I  am  convinced  that  the 
best  passages  around  Cape  Horn  to  the  West  will 
be  accomplished  by  keeping  in  shore,  rather  than 
broad  off,  in  less  time  and  with  less  wear  to  a  ship ; 
keeping  the  mountains  in  sight  tiiere  is  less  sea  and 
easterly  current  to  contend  with,  while  broad  otf 
the  land  strong  south-west  gales,  frequently  of  long 
duration,  prevail,  with  a  stronger  easter-ly  current. 
Being  off  the  Straits  of  Le  Maire,  and  the  condition 
of  tide  being  favorable,  I  would  prefer  to  go 
through  to  the  westward,  and,  passing  inside  of 
Diego  Ramirez,  make  westing,  ^ping  well  in 
shore.     Whale-ships  do  this,  an(  )  not  remem- 

ber ever  hearing  of  accident  to  one  of  them  by  so 
doing.  The  old  rule  of  not  bearing  away  north 
until  eighty  degrees  west  is  attained,  is  not  the  rule 
for  ships  at  the  present  day.  It  is  said  that  ice  is 
seldom  seen  with  the  land  in  sight ;  my  own  expe- 
rience leads  me  to  the  same  opinion.  The  ship 
was  becalmed  one  day  to  the  westward  of  the 
Cape,  and  the  birds  were  abundant.  Lowering  a 
boat,  I  pushed  off  from  the  ship  a  short  distance, 
towing  astern  a  piece  of  fat  pork  to  attract  them. 
In  less  than  an  hour  a  large  number  of  the  black 
albatross  (or  goneys,  as  the  whalers  call  them)  was 
obtained,  sufficient  for  three  or  four  days'  good 
fresh  provisions  for  all  hands.  Passing  in  sight  of 
Juan  Fernandez,  we  crossed  the  Equator  in  the 
longitude  of  one  hundred  and  twelve,  and  after  a 
few  days  in  the  "  doldrums,",  between  the  two 
trades,  took  a  favorable  breeze,  which  sent  us  flying 
to  the  north  in  fine  style. 


iH.;, 


A    WRECK  {f). 


327 


that  the 
^cst  will 
icr  than 
D  a  ship; 
s  sea  ami 
)Voacl  olV 
,y  of  long 
^  current, 
condition 
er    to    go 
inside   of 
T  well    in 
ot  remem- 
leni  by  so 
way  north 
ot  the  rule 
that  ice  is 
own  expe- 
The  ship 
ird  of  the 
owering  a 
distance, 
act  them, 
the  black 
them)  was 
days'   good 
1  sight  of 
litor  in  the 
nd  after  a 
n   the   two 
nt  us  flying 


In  the  latitude  of  Cape  Saint  Lucas  we  were 
steering  our  course  with  a  moderate  breeze  and 
smooth  sea.  A  man  aloft  reported  an  object  ahead 
resembling  a  boat;  on  nearer  approach  it  seemed 
to  be  a  wreck,  low  in  the  water,  with  men  standing 
on  it.  A  boat  was  soon  in  readiness  to  take  them 
off,  —  we  could  count  four  of  them.  All  of  us 
were  animated  at  the  prospect  of  saving  life.  Still 
nearer,  none  of  them  seemed  to  move,  and  they  did 
not,  for  the  wreck  with  men  on  it  proved  to  be  a 
large  tree,  with  four  dead  limbs  sticking  up.  On 
the  trunk  of  it  weic  about  a  dozen  gannets  (a  bird 
common  on  the  banks  of  Newfoundland).  I  con- 
cluded there  must  be  fish  around  it.  The  main- 
topsail  was  backed,  and  the  boat  lowered,  prepared 
for  fishing  or  fowling.  As  we  approached,  a  raking 
fire  from  the  boat  swept  off  the  birds,  part  of  which 
were  killed.  The  fish  were  very  abundant ;  the 
boat  was  made  fast,  and  we  went  to  fishing.  The 
fish  were  of  a  species  called  "  leather  jackets,"  and 
they  took  off  all  our  hooks  as  fast  as  they  were  put 
over.  The  grains  (an  iron  tripod)  was  then  used 
with  such  success,  that  we  soon  caught  all  we 
wanted.  As  we  were  about  casting  off  to  return  to 
the  ship,  I  noticed  a  large  turtle  some  distance  olV, 
and  paddling  towards  the  tree ;  we  held  on  and 
kept  quiet;  down  he  came,  and,  projecting  his  long 
neck  over  the  tree,  tried  to  get  on  it,  but  did  not 
succeed  ;  he  was  evidently  very  tired,  and  wanted 
to  rest.  If  he  saw  us  he  was  not  alarmed,  as  he 
paid  no  regard  to  our  presence.  After  his  repeated 
failures  to  effect  a  landing  I  threw  the  grains  into 


•11 
If' 


id' 


ill 


328 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


iTi 


\\ 


his  neck,  and  he  was  hauled  on  board.  When  the 
turtle  was  first  seen  he  was  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  from  us,  and  he  kept  on  a  straight  line  for  the 
tree.  The  question  is,  did  he  see  the  object  so  far 
off,  or. did  instinct  guide  liim  to  it?  However,  we 
returned  on  board  after  a  very  successful  hunt. 

We  anchored  at  San  Pedro,  the  port  of  Los  An- 
gelos,  in  one  hundred  and  twelve  days  from  Boston  ; 
the  passage,  though  a  good  one,  was  lengthened 
some  days  by  not  having  a  reliable  crew  to  tn^.c  in 
sail,  when  the  ship  could  have  been  pressed  more 
than  she  was.  And  now  again,  in  a  well-remem- 
bered spot,  how  familiar  everything  appeared ! 
The  hills  were  clothed  in  green,  the  plains  were 
waving  with  an  immense  sea  of  wild  mustard  in 
full  blossom.  The  colored  patches  of  earth  in  the 
far  distance  marked  out,  as  in  former  years,  the 
gardens  of  vSan  Gabriel.  The  old  bluff  point  of 
theiiarbor,  known  as  ''Don  Abe's  Nose,"  was  still 
there,  its  proportions  unchanged  by  winds  or  rains. 
The  one  adobe,  he  use,  and  its  w^ooden  frame  com- 
panion, were,  as  in  former  years,  the  sole  tenements 
of  the  port.  The  cattle  and  horses  had  disappeared 
from  the  hills  ;  all  else  seemed  as  in  olden  times. 
But  the  days  of  "  hide  drogging  "  were  past.  Since 
those  days  a  mighty  people  had  possessed  thccoun* 
try,  and  though  no  sign  of  progress  was  perceptible 
at  San  Pedro,  cities  and  towns  with  wealth,  luxury, 
and  civilization,  were  fast  spreading  o^  'ik  the  land. 
My  consignee,  and  part  owner  of  the  ship,  came  l)y 
the  Isthmus  to  meet  me  here,  and  arrived  the  day 
previous  to  the  ship's  anchoring.     While  the  cargo 


OLD  FRIENDS. 


320 


Hien  the 
iter  of  a 
ic  for  the 
ct  so  far 
ever,  we 
Hint. 

Los  An- 
\  Boston ; 
nsthened 
o  to'.w   in 
sed   more 
ll-remem- 
ippeared ! 
iiins  were 
111  star  d  in 
rth  in  the 
^•ears,  the 
point  ot 
was  still 
or  rains, 
me   com- 
encmcnts 
appeared 
en  times. 
Since 
the  coun- 
rceptible 
ii,  luxury, 
the  land. 
,  came  l>y 
d  the  day 
the  cargo 


was  discharging,  I  went  to  Los  Angelos  to  pass  a 
week  with  my  old  ••' Amigos."  A  stage-coach  was 
running  over  the  route  daily.  I  took  passage  ;  the 
fi^re  was  five  dollars.  A  few  miles  from  the  port 
the  driver,  who  was  also  the  proprietor,  stopped 
the  team  and  alighted  to  collect  the  fare.  I  handed 
my  money,  but  it  was  returned.  Mr.  Banning,  the 
enterprising  proprietor,  informed  me  that  an  old 
pioneer  on  the  road  was  entitled  to  a  free  passage 
in  his  teams.  I  failed  to  see  the  right  or  justice  of 
such  a  distinction,  but  argument  was  useless  with 
hi.Ti  on  the  subject,  and  I  did  not  press  it. 

The  six  vears  of  mv  absence  from  the  Pueblo  had 
produced  great  changes  in  the  place :  many  fine 
buildings  had  been  erected,  new  vineyards  had  been 
planted,  the  old  ones  increased,  and  many  q^  the 
old  ranches  were  cut  up  into  small  farms,  which 
were  under  good  cultivation.  The  population  had 
increased  by  immigration  from  the  States  aiiu  else- 
where, the  new-comers  outnumbering  the  native 
Caiiforniaus,  so  that  the  latter  appeared  as  pilgrims 
and  strangers  in  their  own  land,  I  was  grieved  to 
find  that  not  a  few  of  the  people  of  the  country 
who,  when  I  was  ast  here,  were  well  to  do  in 
lands  and  cattle,  \  id  parted  with  their  property  and 
become  poor,  not  from  any  faidt  of  their  own,  but 
throi'.gh  t!ie  bad  faith  01'  our  government  in  the  ac- 
tion of  its  Attorney-General,  and  the  sharp  practice 
of  the  ncw-coricrs. 

\\\  Lhn  settlement  of  land-titles  in  California  after 
the  war,  commissioners  were  appointed  at  Washing- 
ton to  proceed  to  California  for  the  purpose  of  inves- 


^tJ 


ill 


I 


r 


*  ' 


)M 


14 


330 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


tigating  and  deciding  on  the  claims  of  landholders 
at  that  time.  They  held  their  sittings  in  various 
parts  of  the  country,  and  in  nearly  every  case  where 
the  old  proprietors  exhibited  a  fair  claim,  the  de- 
cision of  the  Commissioners  was  in  their  favor. 
Against  this  decision  of  the  Board  appointed  by  his 
own  government,  the  Attorney-General  appealed. 
The  poor  Rancheros  knew  nothing  of  the  processes 
of  law,  and  were  compelled  to  employ  lawyers  to 
defend  their  property,  in  some  cases  giving  one-half 
the  property  to  secure  the  other.  In  all  cases  a  large 
retaining  fee  was  demanded,  secured  by  mortgage 
of  cattle  or  land.  It  proved  to  be  immaterial  in  the 
end  how  the  case  was  decided ;  either  the  Govern- 
ment or  the  lawyers  took  all.  '  The  name  of  the  At- 
torney-General was  held  in  execration  by  most  of 
the  Rancheros  in  Los  Angelos  county,  whether 
justly  so  or  not  I  cannot  say. 

I  spent  a  few  days  at  the  ranchc  of  an  old  friend 
a  few  miles  from  the  town,  anc .  partook  of  an  enter- 
tainment peculiar  to  the  country,  and  in  which  most 
of  the  party  were  Californians.  There  were  fami- 
lies here  with  whom  I  had  long  been  intimate  in 
former  years,  when  they  were  the  principal  people 
of  the  country,  and  every  house  was  a  home  to  the 
stranger,  the  latch-string  outside,  and  the  entertain- 
ment to  be  found  within,  furnished  without  uioney 
and  without  price.  Now  the  scene  was  changed  ; 
the  discovery  of  gold  had  not  been  productive  of 
good  to  the  natives.  With  tlic  thousands  of  our  peo- 
ple who  will  be  a  blessing  to  the  country,  the  irrup- 
tion of  the  Goths  and  Vandals  who  came   in  the 


A  PICNIC. 


331 


olders 
arious 
where 
he  de- 
favor, 
bv  his 
)ealed. 
)cesses 
yers  to 
le-half 
a  large 
)rtgage 
I  in  the 
Jovern- 
the  At- 
most  of 
vhethe'r 

1  friend 
n  enter- 
ch  most 
e  fami- 
nate   in 
people 
e  to  the 
iter  tain- 
money 
langed ; 
ctive  of 
our  peo- 
ic  irrup- 
i   in  the 


same  train  had  proved  a  curse.  It  was  sad  to  listen 
to  the  relation  of  the  wrongs  of  the  natives,  and 
of  the  manner  in  which  they  were  stripped  of  their 
property  by  sharpers. 

Notwithstanding  much  has  been  said  of  the  habits, 
customs  and  characteristics  of  the  Californians,  there 
always  seems  room  to  say  a  little  more.  The  pres- 
ent occasion  was  a  "  marienda, "  —  at  home  it  would 
be  called  a  picnic,  —  a  m.eeting  of  friends  and  nei  ^h- 
bors  at  a  pleasant  spot,  canopied  with  shady  trees, 
under  which  a  feast  and  fandango,  with  much  fun 
and  frolic,  afforded  entertainment  for  the  day  and 
evening.  The  feats  of  horsemanship  in  which  these 
people  excel  all  others  I  have  ever  seen,  formed,  as 
usual,  a  prominent  pan.  The  lasso,  in  the  use  of 
which  they  are  trained  ni  early  childhood,  is  man- 
aged by  them  \\  wonderful  dexterity.  I  have 
watched  them  often,  when  lassoing  cattle,  v\  ith  as- 
tonishment and  admiratif'M,  and  now  for  the  last 
time  the  exhibition  was  none  tiie  less  interesting. 

The  lasso  is  a  rope  about  six  fathoms  Ion  .  about 
the  thickness  of  a  man's  thumb,  and  made  ot  raw 
hide,  with  the  hair  off,  the  strands  made  limber  and 
laid  together  very  neatly,  with  an  eye  or  slip-noose 
at  one  end.  From  the  fact  that  the  c  ''  o  are  sel- 
dom folded,  they  are  very  shy,  and  a  half  wild 
state,  for  which  reason  it  has  always  been  necessary, 
in  catching  them,  to  use  the  lasso.  In  former  years 
a  time  was  set  apart  at  a  certain  season  of  the  year, 
at  all  the  missions  and  ranches,  for  the  purpose  of 
overlooking,  counting,  and  marking  the  cattle  by 
branding  them  on  the  Hank  with  the  owner's  mark. 


If 


iff 


t'      I' I 


I 


332 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


1    !:; 


that  is,  the  calves,  the  increase  of  the  past  year,  and 
perform  other  operations  to  accustom  them  to  lierd 
together  and  prevent  their  running  wild.     This  was 
called  a  "Rodea,"  and  was  an   occasion  at  which 
all  the  male  inhabitantsof  the  estate  and  its  vicinity 
were  sure  to  be  present,  and  assist  gratuitously,  as 
each  farm  was  visited  in  turn  for  the  same  purpose. 
The  cattle  were  driven  into  a  large  "coral,"  or 
fold,  at  a  wide  opening  on  one  side  ;  this  was  after- 
wards closed  up,  a  small  gateway  being  left  for  one 
animal  to  pass  throigh  at  a  time.     The  cattle  not 
to  be  operated  upon  were  made  to  escape  at  this 
gate,  singly.     A  score  of  boys  on  the  watch  outside, 
to  have  a  frolic  with   a  bull,  would  no  sooner  dis- 
cover one  making  off  than  away  they  would  scam- 
per after  him,  with  their  lassos  swinging  in  the  air, 
and  in  full  pursuit ;  within  point  blank  (^stance,  the 
foremost  throws  his  lasso  over  the  animal's  neck", 
others  over  his  horns,  some  entrap  a  hind  leg,  others 
a  fore  one  ;  then  stopping  short  their  well-trained 
horses,   and   bringing   taut  the  lasso,  one  end    of 
which  is  made  fast  to  the  logger-head  of  the  saddle, 
the  bull  tails  as  if  shot,  tumbling  head  over  heels. 
In  this  state  the  wildest  bull   lies  motionless,  and 
suucrs  any  operation  to  be  performed  on  him  with- 
out any  resistance.     1  cannot  comprehend  the  art 
and  skill  by  which  a  man   at  the  fullest  speed  of  a 
horse  can  throw  a  noose  with  such  unerring  pre- 
cision as  to  catch  a  bullock  by  either  leg  he  chooses, 
while  he  is  in  full   flight  from  his  pursuers.     Ask 
them  how  it  is  done,  and  the  reply  is,  "Qiiien  sabe." 
Early  and  constant  practice  can  only  enable  them 


li 


THE  ''LASSO." 


333 


r,  and 

3  herd 

lis  was 

wliich 

icinity 

isly,  as 

irpose. 

al,"  or 

.s  after- 

for  one 

ttle  not 
at  this 

outside, 

iner  dis- 

d  scam- 
the  air, 

Lnce,the 

's  neck*, 
%  others 
-trained 
end   of 
saddle, 
heels. 
CSS,  and 
m  with- 
the  art 
ecd  of  a 
ing  prc- 
chooscs, 
•s.     Ask 
n  sabe." 
ble  them 


to  accomplish  it.  The  practice  of  the  "lassoers, " 
indeed,  begins  with  their  earliest  childhood.  The 
first  plaything  in  a  boy's  hand  is  a  lasso  of  thread 
or  twine,  with  which  he  essays  to  ensnare  the  chick- 
ens or  kittens  about  the  house,  and  perhaps  from 
these  elementary  essays  the  tlieory  of  the  lasso  can 
only  be  comprehended  ;  for  the  rapidity  and  magical 
effect  with  which  the  real  lasso  is  thrown,  leaves 
no  time  or  opportunity  to  see  how  it  acts.  It  ap- 
pears that  to  secure  (for  instance)  the  hind  leg,  the 
large  noose  of  the  lasso,  which  by  swinging  it  around 
the  head  is  formed  into  a  circle,  is  thrown  so  ai  to 
pass  under  the  leg  at  the  very  moment  when  it  is 
elevated  in  making  the  spring,  while  the  b'dlock  is 
galloping,  and  is  placed  exactly  where  the  foot  must 
fall  on  coming  to  the  ground ;  and  when  the  leg  is 
placed  within  the  circle  of  the  noose,  the  thrower 
immediately  checks  his  horse,  and  gives  the  lasso  a 
jerk,  which  draws  up  and  tightens  the  noose  around 
the  icg.  Now  whether  this  is  the  mode  of  operation, 
or  whether  V^c  leg  is  caught  while  suspended  in  the 
air,  I  know  not  and  1  never  questioned  aCalifornian 
who  could  tell  mc. 

The  saddles  used  are  well  fitted  for  the  purpose 
of  managing  the  cattle.  They  are  high  before  and 
behind ;  a  knob,  or  loggerhead,  on  which  the  rider 
can  rest  or  secure  himself,  and  make  fast  and  coil 
up  his  lasso,  is  well  secured  to  the  horse  with  a 
strong  girth,  tightened  up  by  a  lanyard  through  iron 
rings.  The  horses  are  taught  to  lean  over  when 
checked,  I'j^ainst  the  direction  in  which  the  bullock 
draws,  ana  thereby  secure  themselves  from  being 


i  .    4 


334 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


1      \ 


i  ! 


I  li 


capsized  by  the  sudden  strain  of  the  animal  when 
it  is  brought  up  by  the  hisso. 

The  bridle  used  is  equally  well  adapted  to  the 
purpose,  is  most  powerfully  constructed,  and  calcu- 
lated for  suddenly  checking  a  horse.  It  is  a  single 
curb  of  peculiar  construction  :  the  bit  is  doubled  up 
high  in  the  mouth,  without  a  joint ;  instead  of  a 
curb-chain,  it  has  a  solid  ring  of  iron  which  passes 
through  the  upper  part  of  the  doubled-up  bit  within 
the  mouth,  and  then  passes  behind  the  lower  jav.  — 
altogrether  forming  a  lever  sufficient  to  break  the 
jaw,  if  powerfully  applied.  The  use  of  this  ren- 
ders the  horse's  mouth  so  sensitive,  and  gives  the 
rider  such  a  perfect  control  over  him,  that  he  is 
checked  at  full  speed  instantaneously.  It  is  com- 
mon amusement  for  the  California  youth,  when  ex- 
ercising their  horses,  to  ride  full  speed  at  a  wall, 
and  when  the  horse's  head  is  within  two  feet  of  it,  to 
check  him  at  once  and  bring  him  on  his  haunches. 

The  most  amusing  use  of  the  lasso  I  ever  saw 
was  in  this  wise :  the  ship  was  lying  at  a  taking- 
ofF  place  in  the  canal  of  Santa  Barbara,  waiting 
for  a  quantity  of  hides  and  tallow  to  arrive  from  a 
ranclie,  to  be  taken  on  board.  The  pack-animals 
arrived  opposite  the  ship  during  the  night.  The 
inajor-domo  who  was  in  charge,  had  the  goods  un- 
loaded and  piled  up  on  the  shore,  sending  the  Indians 
back  with  the  horses,  while  he  remained,  with  [j 
one  horse,  to  deliver  the  cargo  and  get  a  receipt. 
Staking  out  his  horse,  he  lighted  a  fire,  and  pre- 
pared to  spend  the  night  by  it;  but  before  daylight 
his  s'lumbers  were  disturbed  by  a  noise  as  of  some 


9 


il  when 

1  to  the 
id  calcu- 
,  a  single 
ubled  up 
ead  of  a 
;h  passes 
)it  within 
;r  jav.  — 
)reak  the 

this  ren- 
ofives  the 
hat  he  is 
It  is  com- 

when  ex- 
it a  wall, 
2etof  it,  to 
[launches. 

ever  saw 
t  a  taking- 
a,  waiting 
ive  from  a 
ck-animals 
ight.     The 

2  iroods  un- 
the  Indians 
lined,  with 
t  a  receipt, 
•c,  and  pre- 
3 re  daylight 

as  of  some 


i 


Pi 

Pli 

li- 

'<  i  ' 

;{ 

:f. 

n  ' 

ill 

ll 

f 


m 


1  i 


p  1 1' 


LASSOING  A    GRIZZLT. 


335 


m 


one  pulling  away  the  hides,  which  covered  up  the 
bags  of  tallow.  Supposing  that  Indians  were  steal- 
ing the  hides,  he  aroused  himself,  and,  cautiously 
approaching  the  spot,  found  that  a  grizzly  bear  had 
made  a  hole  in  a  bag  of  tallow,  and  was  faring 
sumptuously.  The  major-domo,  who  was  a  little 
old  man,  tough  and  active,  quietly  reached  his 
horse,  and  clapping  the  saddle  on  him,  he  sprang  on 
his  back,  got  his  lasso  ready  for  action,  and  waited 
for  daylight.  Bruin  had  transferred  so  much  of  the 
tallow  from  the  bullock-skin  bag  to  his  own, 
that 'he  was  not  in  good  condition  to  flee  or  fight. 
Don  Domingo  soon  had  his  lasso  around  the  neck 
of  the  burglar,  who  made  no  attempt  to  leave  the 
ground,  but  placing  himself  in  an  upright  position, 
took  the  lasso  in  his  fore-paws,  and  commenced 
hauling  in  on  the  man  and  horse,  as  a  fisherman 
would  on  a  halibut.  The  old  man  took  a  turn  with 
the  ehd  of  the  lasso  to  the  loggerhead  of  the  sad- 
die,  and  held  on ;  but  as  he  was  gradually  drawn 
into  close  quarters  with  the  huge  paws,  he  was 
obliged  to  slip  hia  line  and  run.  The  bear  would 
then  start  oflT,  with  the  end  of  the  lasso  dragging  on 
the  ground.  The  mi>n  clapped  spurs  to  his  horse, 
in  chase  ;  stooping  down  he  would  regain  the  lasso, 
take  another  turn  with  it,  check  his  horse,  and  tum- 
ble the  bear  head  over  heels ;  Bruin  then  resuming 
a  seat  on  his  haunches,  would  again  take  up  the 
line,  and  haul  in  /m  game,  and  again  the  ranchero 
had  to  slip.  While  this  play  was  being  enacted, 
the  mate  came  down  to  inform  me  of  it.  I  went 
on  deck,  and,  with  the  glass,  could  distinctly  see  the 


('» 


i'l  '  1 


I 


^i 


33^ 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


I  ■ 


ii 


dh 


whole  performance,  which  was  about  as  laiifijhable 
OS  could  be  got  up  on  any  stage.  The  distance  was 
about  a  pistol-shot  from  the  ship  ;  and  as  the  man  in 
his  turn  tumbled  Bruin  to  the  ground,  his  shout  of 
victory  would  inform  us  of  the  fact.  The  tongue  of 
the  bear  hung  out  of  his  mouth  ;  and  as  he  again  drew 
his  friend  towards  him,  in  spite  of  the  "maldctcs" 
of  the  horseman,  the  brute  seemed  to  be  laughing  all 
over  his  face.  We  started  with  a  boat  and  lire-arms 
to  assist  Don  Domingo,  but  before  we  reached  the 
shore  he  had  worked  the  bear  towards  a  tree, 
against  which  the  creature  backed  himself  and  stood 
upright ;  and  now  he  was  where  the  man  had  the 
advantage.  With  the  rapidity  of  the  whirlwind, 
making  the  bare  end  of  the  lasso  fast  again,  he  dashed 
spurs  into  his  horse  and  rajDidly  described  circles 
around  the  tree,  until  the  victim  was  snugly  laced 
up  to  it,  and  he  was  despatched  with  a  knife.  Mayor 
Shurtleff,  of  Boston,  has,  or  had,  his  head. 


!i    ' 


A  FAREWELL    TO   CALIFORNIA. 


337 


rhable 
:c  was 
nan  in 

lOUt  of 

rruC  of 
o 

n  drew 
klctcs" 
iiing  all 
re- arms 
bed  the 
a  tree, 
id  stood 
had  the 
irlwind, 
e  dashed 
\  circles 
[ly  laced 
Mavor 


CHAPTER     XXIX. 

A  FAREWELL  TO  CALIFORNIA. 

TO  return  to  the  ship  from  Los  Angelos  with  the 
certainly  that  I  should  revisit  it  no  more,  leav- 
ing behind  many  kind  friends,  at  whose  hospitable 
homes  I  had  always  found  a  welcome,  with  the 
thought  that  never  again,  in  the  flesh,  should  I  look 
upon  their  faces,  could  not  but  occasion  a  pang  of 
regret.  We  sailed  for  Santa  Barbara  and  discharged 
some  cargo  there,  and  thence  to  Ciiina,  leaving  the 
coast  of  California  about  the  middle  of  June,  1S55. 
And  now,  in  taking  my  farewell  of  a  country  with 
which  I  had  been  so  many  years  connected,  I  hope 
to  be  pardoned  fo;-  going  back,  to  revive  a  few  more 
recollections  of  the  olden  times,  showing,  of  some  of 
the  people,  their  former  poverty  in  contrast  with 
their  present  condition,  their  simple  habits  and  hos- 
pitality, with  some  of  the  customs  of  those  living  in 
the  vicinity  of  where  the  great  city  now  is. 

It  is  pleasant  to  revive  the  memories  of  other  days, 
and  bring  to  light  scenes  and  incidents  that  took 
place  twenty-five  years  ago,  among  an  excellent  peo- 
ple, who  'are  now  fast  disappearing  in  the  over- 
whelming population  of  the  Great  Republic.  In 
those  days  all  persons  of  respectability  were  wel- 
comed on  board  our  ships,  and,  with  their  families, 
22 


if? 


338 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


H    i 


ii  I 


i  I 


't^t 


-  n- 


entertained  as  long  as  their  business  or  pleasure 
might  induce  them  to  stay,  without  any  charge,  and 
these  courtesies  were  reciprocated  where  we  had 
occasion  to  travel  among  them.  Previous  to  the 
American  occupation,  money  was  not  needed  to 
travel  throughout  California. 

In  the  afternoon  I  went  with  a  boat  and  four 
men  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay,  to  St.  Lcandry 
(now  Oakland),  to  kill  and  salt  a  few  bullocks  for 
ship's  use.  I  took  my  gun  with  me  to  have  some 
duck  shooting,  it  being  the  season  when  the  ducks 
and  geese  were  very  abundant  on  the  plains.  I\Iy 
friend,  Don  Vetro,  who  owned  the  ranche  at  St. 
Leandry,  was  a  very  intelligent  and  clever  (^aliior- 
nian.  A  few  days  previous  to  my  visit,  he  carr o  to 
the  ship  with  his  own  boat  and  an  Indian  crew  ; 
while  there  a  strong  south-east  gale  came  on,  and 
through  the  carelessness  of  his  Indians  the  boat  got 
adrift,  and  went  to  pieces  on  the  rocks.  Returning 
to  his  home  with  me,  he  found  that  during  his  ab- 
sence the  tempest  had  unroofed  one  of  his  houses, 
and  the  wild  Indians  had  stolen  and  driven  oft' 
about  thirty  of  his  best  horses.  The  value  6f  a  good 
horse  then  was  six  dollars.  Vetro's  wife  was  the 
youngest  daughter  of  the  Martinez  family,  an  old 
and  highly  respectable  native  fiimily,  ranking  in 
beauty  and  natural  accomplishments  with  the  best 
in  the  country.  Vancouver  and  Beechy  make  favor- 
able mention  of  the  Martinez  family  in  the  history 
of  their  voyages.  After  a  bounteous  supper,  con- 
sisting of"  came  con  chile,*'  "gesados,"  "frijoles," 
"tortillias,"  and  some  other  nice  dishes  of  the  coun- 


CALIFORNfA   FURNITURE. 


339 


asurc 
;,  and 
3  had 
:o  the 
ed  to 

d  four 
-andry 
^ks  for 
;  some 
I  ducks 

s.   iNiy 

:  at  St. 

Calaor- 

caii  .:  to 

1   crew  ; 

on,  and 

boat  got 

cturning 
his  ab- 
houses, 
iven  oft' 
f  a  good 
was  the 
^,  an  old 
nkuig  in 
tlie  best 
ke  favor- 
e  history 
per,  con- 
frijoles," 
the  coun- 


try, all  of  which  were  prepared  under  the  direction 
of  the  lady  of  tl.o  house,  we  began  to  make  arrange- 
ments for  J-  .ssingthe  night.  Another  storm  seemed 
to  be  brewing,  and  no  one  coidd  think  of  sleeping 
out  of  doors.  The  pitiless  storm  had  spared  the 
young  couple  but  one  house,  and  that  contained  only 
three  rooms,  which  were  very  sn?all.  I  felt  rather 
curious  to  know  how  we  were  all  to  be  disposed  of. 
Don  Vetro,  although  having  a  fine  farm  of  his  own, 
and  a  few  thousand  head  of  cattle,  was  sadly  defi- 
cient in  buildings,  while  the  furniture  was  scanty 
cnou<jh  to  be  enumerated  at  a  glance,  consisting,  for 
the  most  part,  of  two  bedsteads  and  one  bod,  twcj 
pinn  tables,  five  or  six  chairs,  a  wooden  clock  in 
one  corner  of  the  principal  room,  and  an  open 
closet  opposite,  in  which,  on  some  rough  shelves, 
were  arranged  sundry  articles  of  crockery,  odd 
knives  and  forks,  broken  spoons,  and  a  row  of  empty 
bottles.  However  poor  Calitbrnia  ranchcros  may 
be,  they  always  contrive  to  have  one  handsoine  high 
post  Boston  bedstead,  and  though  it  generally  stands 
on  a  ground  tioor,  it  has  as  good  a  bed,  curtains, 
etc.,  as  may  be  found  in  the  best  chamber  of  many 
well-to-do  folks  at  home,  and  this  bed  is  always 
given  up  to  "  the  stranger  within  their  gates"  who 
passes  the  night  with  them,  even  if  the  man,  wife, 
and  children  sleep  in  the  open  air,  as  is  often  the 
case,  for  the  Californians  are  hospitable  to  the  ex- 
tremity of  their  means.  My  host  had  just  started 
for  liimself,  and  had  an  excuse  for  being  thus  defi- 
cient of  the  conveniences  of  life,  which  his  means 
limited. 


h 


kVu 


•  tA 


340 


rORE  AND  AFT. 


Madame  Vetro  was  quite  young,  and  Inexperi- 
enced in  the  art  of  liousckeeping.  I  could  not  help 
comparing  our  wants  with  our  necessities,  the  pres- 
ent opportunity  ailbrding  a  good  lesson.  My  boat's 
crew  were  quartered  with  the  Indians  in  one  room, 
where,  with  sides  of  leather,  dried  ludes,  and  deer- 
skins, they  made  themselves  quite  comfortable.  Two 
Fienclimen,  ranchcros,  who  had  arrived  the  day 
previous,  and  were  waiting  for  a  passage  across  the 
bay,  took  their  saddles  for  pillows  and  their  ponclios 
for  blankets,  and  stretching  themselves  on  the  floor 
of  the  room  where  I  was  sitting,  soon  gave  evidence 
of  being  asleep.  Tiie  hostess,  in  the  meantime,  had 
busied  herself  in  picking  over  sundiy  bags  of  wool. 
She  then  gathered  it  up  and  spread  it  over  the  sack- 
ing l)ottom  of  the  bedless  bedstead  in  the  next  room  ; 
over  this  a  sheet  was  spread,  and  tlie  sides  tucked 
under  ;  the  arrangement  was  completed  with  clean 
sheets,  blankets,  e^c.  The  room  was  small — just 
large  enough  to  con-tain  the  two  bedsteads,  which 
were  alongside  of  each  either,  two  trunks,  and  two 
cludrs,  leaving  scant  room  for  a  person  to  move  l)e- 
twecn  them.  I  was  told  that  my  bed  was  ready,  but, 
instead  of  being  assigned  tothv^  temporary  one,  I  was 
desired  '  occupy  the  cawed  mahogany  high  poster, 
with  the  handsome  curtains.  1  protested  against 
this  arrangement,  inasmucli  as  the  one  to  which  I 
was  tlirectcd  was  mucli  the  widest,  and  the  other 
was  a  vc»y  scant  paitern  for  a  man  and  his  wife  and 
two  cliildrcn.  On  any  other  ground  1  should  have 
offended  them  by  saying  a  word  on  the  subject.  As 
it  was,  they  insisted,  and  I  had  to  comply. 


^:^f^H'fr^fV''P'v^j-!ti*i;ff^yr."\Vf^- 


A  PREDICAMENT. 


341 


;pen- 
;  help 
prcs- 
boat's 
room, 

I  dccr- 
.  Two 
le  diiy 
3SS  the 
onchos 
;c  floor 
,-idcncc 
nc,  had 
,{  wool, 
le  sack- 
t  room ; 

tucked 
th  clean 

II  — just 
whi  ch 

md  two 
novc  l)e- 
,\dy,  but, 
le,  I  was 
1  poster, 
against 
which  I 
le  other 
wife  and 
uld  have 
ijcct.    As 


The  next  difficulty  to  my  mind  was,  who  should 
go  to  bed  firs'; ;  but  a  hint  from  Don  Vetro  gave  me 
to  understand  that  it  was  expected^f  me  ;  therefore, 
bidding  theiu  a  "  muey  buenas  noches,"  1  stepped 
within  the  curtains  and  soon  disposed  of  myself. 
The  Don  and  his  lady  soon  followed  my  example. 
As  they  seemed  to  have  some  trouble  in  the  stowage 
of  the  children,  I  urged  to  have  one  of  them  trans- 
ferred to  my  bed  ;  but  no,  the  "  Seuor  Capitan"  must 
keep  his  bed  to  himself.  I  did  so  ;  lut  the  idea  of 
dispossessing  these  kind  people  of  their  accustomed 
comforts  (few  enough  at  the  best)  so  troubled  me, 
that  it  was  some  hours  before  I  could  compose  my- 
self to  sleep. 

I  was  aw-akened  at  early, daybreak  by  my  host 
risitig,  and  mustering  his  Indians  and  horses  to  start 
ofl'  in  pursuit  of  his  cattle.  I  heard  them  depart,  and 
again  fell  asleep,  hoping  that  in  the  meant-me  my 
lady  neighbor  would  make  her  toilet  and  vacate  the 
room  ;  but  after  sunrise  I  nscertainc.l  that  she  was 
still  moored  in  '•  blanket  harbor,  "  and  as  there  were 
no  signs  of  her  getting  undcrweigh,  I  felt  that  I 
must.  Therefore,  partly  dressing  myself  within  the 
curtain,  I  emerged  to  behold  a  remarkably  pretty 
young  woman  sitting  up  in  bed,  nursing  an  infant ; 
however,  as  she  did  not  seem  disconcerted,  I  tried 
not  to  be  ;  and  bidding  her  good-morning,  I  took  my 
gun  and  departed.  This  was  in  my  early  acquaint- 
ance of  the  customs  of  the  country.  Afterward  sim- 
ilar experiences  came  easier.  Don  Vetro  (or  Victor 
Castro),  in  1840,  owned  and  resided  on  the  fine 
ranche  where  I  suppose  the  city  of  Oakland  is  now 


mi 


:,] 


'1: 


ml 

'-Ttf 
'    * « 


342 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


located.  Vetro  then  was  poor.  If  now  living,  he 
ought  to  be  a  very  rich  man.  The  adjoining  ranche 
was  that  of  Don  J^.  Estidillo,  whose  condition  was 
about  the  same  as  Don  Vetro's,  except  that  the  for- 
mer rejoiced  in  the  possession  of  two  very  pretty 
daughters,  who  were  verging  into  womanhood  un- 
der the  somewhat  singular  names  of  Donna  Maria 
Conception  and  Donna  Maria  Jesus.  They  were 
both  interesting  and  graceful  young  ladies,  with  reg- 
ular features,  symmetrical  figures,  and  their  dark 
eyes  flashed  with  all  the  intelligence  and  fire  char- 
acteristrc  of  Spanish  women.  The  ranche  of  Don 
Jose  was  a  pleasant  place  to  call  at  while  in  the  pursuit 
of  business  or  pleasure  ;  the  creeks  and  plains  here, 
at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  were  alive  with  wild 
fowl,  and  as  it  was  at  convenient  distance  from  the 
ship,  I  frequently  crossed  the  bay  to  hunt  them. 
I  copy  from  my  journal  an  account  of  my  first  visit 
there,  which  will  answer,  with  little  variation,  for 
some  succeeding  ones : 

"  Proceeding  up  the  winding  creek,  the  left  bank 
of  which  was  covered  with  a  fine  forest  of  oak  and 
butternut,  without  any  underbrush,  the  opposite 
bank  low  and  flat,  with  small  creeks  and  ponds 
abounding  with  ducks  and  geese,  at  a  convenient 
spot  we  pitched  the  tent  and  made  a  fire.  In  about 
half  an  hour,  within  half  a  mile  of  the  tent,  1  had 
shot  ducks  and  teal  enough  to  fill  a  bushel  basket; 
the  boys  were  busy  at  work  preparing  some  of  the 
birds  for  dinner,  and  a  delicious  repast  was  soon  in 
readiness.  The  young  and  plump  teal,  nicely  picked 
and  cleaned,  were  split  open  on  the  back,  and  as 


A   GOOSE-HUNT, 


343 


bank 
ik  and 
posite 
ponds 
^renient 
ibout 
,  1  li;id 
askct ; 
of  the 
soon  in 
picked 
and  as 


many  pf  them  spitted  on  the  iron  ramrod  of  a  musket 
as  it  would  contain.  These  were  roasted  before  a 
hard-wood  fire,  the  ends  of  tlie  iron  rod  resting  on 
a  couple  of  crotched  sticks  driven  into  the  ground, 
and  a  boy  watching  and  turning  the  spit,  produced 
a  dinner  which  even  now  I  hold  in  pleasant  remem- 
brance. I  was  joined,  during  the  feast,  by  Don  Jose, 
whose  house  was  about  two  miles  distant.  This 
gentleman  thought  the  birds  were  good,  but  the  con- 
tents of  the  boat's  chest  afforded  him  the  greatest 
satisfaction.  I  accepted  an  invitation  to  supper,  and 
a  bed  at  his  house.  The  Don  was  a  legitimate  mem- 
ber of  the  Falstaff  family,  and,  in  the  consumption 
of  his  *sack  and  bread,'  used  about  the  same  pro- 
portions as  his  prototype  did.  Of  his  lady,  it  is 
enough  to  say  that  she  was  a  '  Martinez.*  They 
also  had  a  numerous  progeny  of  smaller  fry,  besides 
the  two  young  ladies  above  mentioned. 

*'  The  old  gentleman  gave  me  two  of  his  tamest 
horses,  that  would  stand  lire,  to  hunt  with.  I  mounted 
myself  and  a  boy  for  a  hunt  after  geese,  which  were 
found  in  great  quantities.  The  method  was  to  sit 
on  my  horse  and  load  and  fire ;  the  boy  picked  up 
what  I  killed,  loaded  his  horse  with  them,  and  taking 
them  to  the  boat,  returned  for  more.  On  the  field  I 
was  joined  by  five  or  six  boys  on  horseback  ;  they 
were  half-breeds  and  Californians,  from  somewhere 
in  the  neighborhood.  They  were  well  mounted, 
had  their  lassos  with  tliem,  and  were  evidently  in- 
tent on  fun.  They  asked  for  permission  to  accom- 
pany me,  which  was  granted.  1  did  not  comprehend 
their  object  until  I  fired  into  a  flock  of  geese,  and  the 


5 


■r 


I 


fr 


344 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


wounded  birds  began  to  make  off,  when  the  'mucha- 
chos,'  swinging  their  lassos  over  their  heads,  and 
chipping  spurs  to  their  horses,  started  in  pursuit. 
My  wounded  birds  were  hissoed  and  dragged  in. 
While  my  boy  was  throwing  a  bunch  of  geese  over 
his  horse's  back,  the  animal  took  fright,  and,  clear- 
ing himself  of  his  load,  was  soon  far  away,  and  at  full 
speed  for  the  hills.  Our  auxiliaries  started  in  chase, 
and  could  have  caught  him  in  a  short  time,  but  they 
wanted  sport ;  they  like  nothing  better  than  to  chase 
a  horse,  and  at  the  same  time  frighten  him  all  they 
can,  to  increase  their  fun  ;  frequently  catching  the 
animal  by  the  tail,  and  taking  a  turn  with  it  to  the 
loggerhead  of  the  saddle,  they  would  tumble  him  to 
the  ground  while  in  full  run.  After  harrassing  the 
poor  creature  until  he  was  wild  with  fright,  and  they 
were  tired  of  the  sport,  a  lasso  was  thrown  over  his 
neck,  and  he  was  quietly  led  back.  Before  dark  I 
returned  to  the  house,  and  was  kindly  welcomed  by 
all  the  family. 

"After  a  good  supper  and  a  pleasant  sociable  eve- 
ning, I  was  pleased  to  see  that  my  kind  hostess  was 
preparing  my  bed,  which  stood  in  the  corner  of  the 
room  we  were  sitting  in,  with  clean  sheets  and  pil- 
low-slips. No  one  can  better  appreciate  the  comfort 
of  a  good  bed  than  one  who  has  been  all  day  in  pur- 
suit of  his  game,  across  quagmires,  through  brush 
and  briar,  and  climbing  hill-sides,  until  night  comes, 
and  the  excitement  over,  he  is  glad  to  drop  on  a  bed 
or  on  the  groiuid,  too  weary  to  pull  off  his  boots. 
Such  were  my  feelings  while  the  bed  was  being  pre- 
pared for  me.     For  the  full  enjoyment  of  the  snow- 


RUDE  BED-FELLOWS. 


345 


evt;- 
vvas 

the 


white  sheets  and  the  embroidered  fringed  pillow- 
slips, which  were  drawn  over  pillows  of  wool  in  red 
silk  ticks,  I  made  a  successful  effort,  and,  divesting 
myself  of  my  much-soiled  hunting-dress,  leaped  into 
bed,  sure  of  a  good  night's  rest.  But  alas,  I  soon 
found  I  had  bed-fellows,  and  their  name  was  legion. 
I  had  blown  out  the  light,  and  could  not  see  the  be- 
siegers, who  seemed  determined  to  drive  me  from 
my  quarters.  I  felt  their  attack  at  every  point.  If 
I  had  worked  hard  during  the  day,  the  night  brought 
no  cessation  of  labor,  for  I  found  that  I  was  literally 
covered  by  a  host  of  the  most  persevering  and  blood- 
thirsty fleas  it  was  ever  my  lot  to  lie  down  amongst. 
I  could  not  account  for  their  being  so  numerous. 
I  knew  the  sheets  were  put  on  fresh  and  clean  ; 
whence  came  the  foe?  After  an  hour's  kicking  and 
scratching,  and  calling  the  villains  hard  names,  I  ex- 
amined (by  feeling)  the  bedding  that  was  under  me, 
and  soon  ascertained  that  the  under-sheet  was  spread 
over  a  thick  blanket ;  this  blanket  was  no  doubt 
taken  from  another  bed,  and  in  all  probability  had 
been  the  birthplace  and  home  of  the  fleas  of  many 
generations.  I  threw  the  vile  thing  to  the  farthest 
corner  of  the  room,  turned  the  bed  over  and  shook 
the  clothing,  scattering  regiments  of  the  light 
troops  over  the  floor,  and  again  tried  to  rest.  But 
my  assailants  were  not  so  easily  repulsed.  They 
had  tasted  blood  probably  better  than  they  had  been 
accustomed  to,  and  they  seemed  to  like  it.  Partially 
routed,  they  formed  again,  and  a  few  minutes'  march 
brought  them  back  to  the  field  of  battle,  where,  for 
the  livelong  night,  the  conflict  was  continued,  and 


k 

\ 

I- 


i.. 


)< 


! 


m 


». 


i.     * 

I!  U 


li 


f 


111 


346 


i^O/?^  AND  AFT. 


much  blood  shed.  I  finally  concluded  to  let  them 
have  their  own  way,  and  draw  on  me  for  what 
amounts  they  pleased,  hoping  that  they  might  at 
length  satisfy  their  demands,  and  leave  me  a  little 
rest ;  but  no  —  they  all  seemed  to  be  daughters  of  the 
horse-leech,  not  asking  for  more,  but  taking  it.  I 
jWished  myself  anywhere  else ;  and  nothing  but  the 
darkness  of  the  night,  and  the  stormy  appearance 
outside,  kept  me  from  retreating  to  the  boat.  At 
early  daylight  I  moved  to  the  boat's  tent,  where  I 
enjoyed  a  good  nap  before  I  was  summoned  to 
breakfast. 

"  To-day  I  started  in  company  with  the  old  ranch- 
ero  for  a  deer-hunt  among  the  hills,  from  which  we 
did  not  return  until  about  sundown.  We  were 
very  successful,  obtaining  three  deer  and  an  ante- 
lope. We  saw  a  large  band  of  elk,  but  we  being 
to  windward  of  them,  they  took  our  scent  and 
made  oft'.  At  sea,  having  the  weather-gauge  gives 
the  advantage  ;  in  elk  or  deer-hunting,  a  leeward 
position  is  best  for  the  hunter.  Returning  to 
the  house  to  sleep,  I  noticed  that  the  abom- 
inable blanket  was  again  on  my  bed,  and  I  deter- 
mined, as  the  night  was  fine,  and  1  reall}'  needed 
rest,  to  find  it  at  the  tent;  therefore,  late  in  the 
evening,  I  sought  my  quarters.  I  found  the  boys 
all  asleep  inside,  and  preferring  the  open  air,  I 
camped  on  the  outside  of  the  tent.  About  mid- 
night I  was  awakened  by  another  attack  similar  to 
that  of  the  previous  night.  Tiie  fleas  had  posses- 
sion. I  thought  this  was  very  strange.  My  blan- 
ket had  not  been  at  the  house,  and  1  had  thoroughly 


A   ^UEER  BIRD. 


347 


them 
what 
ht  at 
little 
3f  the 
it.     I 
ut  the 
trance 
[.    At 
here  I 
lecl   to 

ranch- 
ich  we 
2  were 
11  ante- 
;  being 
rtt    and 
re  gives 
eeward 
ning  to 
abom- 
I  deter- 
needed 
i  in  the 
he  boys 
n  air,  I 
ut  mid- 
milar  to 
posses- 
!kly  blan- 
roughly 


shaken  every  garment  I  had  on.  I  shouted  to  the 
boys  to  know  if  there  were  any  of  the  pests  with 
them.  '  No,  sir,  not  one,'  was  the  reply.  I 
thought  there  was  a  fatality  about  it,  but  was  too 
tired  to  discuss  the  subject,  or  to  be  kept  awake 
long.  The  morning  brought  to  light  the  whole  se- 
cret. I  had  been  followed  by  three  larjje  dojjs  from 
the  house  the  previous  evening,  unobserved  by  me, 
and  after  I  had  camped  down  they  did  the  same, 
and,  lying  in  close  proximity  to  me,  had  transferred 
their  passengers,  without  my  permission  being 
asked. 

"  On  a  hill,  one  day,  I  shot  a  monstrous  rattlesnake 
with  eleven  rattles.  These  reptiles  are  very  numer- 
ous throughout  the  country.  The  fact  is  well  estab- 
lished, that,  in  this  country,  the  rabbit,  the  ground 
owl,  and  the  rattlesnake,  inhabit  the  same  hole.  That 
one  entrance  is  common  to  the  three  parties,  I  myself 
know  ;  what  the  interior  arrangement  of  the  domi- 
cile is,  I  know  not.  Another  story  is  believed  by  the 
people  of  the  country,  and,  as  I  have  heard  it  from 
a  naturalist  of  high  standing,  whom  I  met  in  Cali- 
fornia, as  a  fiict,  I  do  not  doubt  it ;  which  is,  that  the 
rattlesnake  has  a  natural  and  most  implacable 
enemy  in  a  bird  called  by  the  Spaniards  '  Cona 
Comino.'  It  has  a  body  little  larger  than  a  robin 
red-breast,  with  very  long  legs,  and  can  keep  up  in 
running  with  a  horse  on  a  fast  trot.  These  birds 
always  go  in  pairs.  When  they  find  the  snake 
lying  asleep  in  the  sun,  as  tiiey  often  do  of  a  warm 
day,  they  run  about  and  collect  the  burs  of  the 
cactus,  which  dry  and  fall  off  the  parent  stem  ;  they 


348 


FORE  AND  AFT, 


i  ■■-• 


?  ( 


f 


are  about  the  size  of  an  English  walnut,  and  are 
covered  with  long,  sharp  thorns ;  with  these  they 
'  coral,*  or  fence,  the  snake,  within  a  circle.  If  he 
docs  not  wake  whon  the  circle  is  completed,  they 
tlien  collect  other  burs,  and,  hovering  over  him 
with  one  in  their  bill,  drop  them  on  the  reptile, 
waking  him  up,  when  he  attempts  to  escape. 
Finding  that  he  cannot  pass  ovor  the  thorny  barrier, 
and  irritated  by  the  bayonets  which  have  pierced 
him,  he  turns  on  himself,  plants  his  fangs  in  his 
own  flesh,  and  dies  of  his  own  venom." 

It  is  with  a  feeling  of  sadness  one  bids  a  last  fare- 
well to  a  place  of  which  he  carries  away  with  him 
remembrances  of  the  most  pleasing  character,  and 
to  a  people  to  -.vhom  he  feels  indebted  for  many 
acts  of  kindness  and  hospitality.  I  think  that  one 
of  the  greatest  drawbacks  to  a  traveller  is,  that  in 
various  parts  of  the  world,  where  business  or 
pleasure  leads  him,  he  often  forms  friendships  of  a 
strong  character,  which,  us  the  scenes  and  persons 
are  never  revisited,  are  necessarily  never  renewed. 
It  was  with  some  such  feeling  that  I  took  my  last 
look  at  Santa  Barbara  one  morning,  when  I  weighed 
anchor  and  lilled  away  on  my  course  towards  the 
'*  Flowery  Kingdom."  My  countrymen  had  al- 
ways regarded  Santa  Barbara  with  especial  favor. 
There  was  nothing  very  attractive  in  the  appear- 
ance of  the  place  itself,  in  the  buildings,  streets,  or 
situation,  but  the  climate  was  far  superior  to  that 
of  any  place  north  of  it,  and  the  principal  families 
there  had,  at  an  early  date,  oflered  attractions  to 
visitors  which  they  could  not  resist.     Don  Carlos 


NOTABLE   CALIFORNIANS. 


349 


Canilla,  a  man  whose  dignified  and  noble  appear- 
ance would  command  observation  in  any  company, 
and  whose  high  respectabihty  vyas  never  questioned, 
gave  his  five  daughters  to  American  husbands,  all 
of  said  husbands  being  of  good  and  respectable 
standing;  one  of  them  was  American  Consul  at 
the  Sandwich  Islands  over  twenty  years,  and  all  the 
others  were  his  equals.  And  these  husbands  also 
gained  wives  who  would  reflect  credit  on  them  in 
any  civilized  community.  The  dwellers  at  Jamaica 
Plain,  of  a  few  years  past,  will  recognize  in  one  of 
them  the  noble-looking  Spanish  lady,  now  a  widow, 
,  and  resident  there  with  her  beautiful  daughters. 

Santa  Barbara,  ii\  1840,  with  its  sparse  popula- 
tion, had  identified  its  interests  with  the  States  by 
giving  nine  of  its  fairest  daughters  to  be  American 
wives.  Don  Jose  Noriega  was  one  of  the  kindest 
and  best  men  I  ever  knew  ;  all  respectable  foreign- 
ers, who  visited  the  place  previous  to  our  occupa- 
tion of  it,  can  testify  to  the  unbounded  hospitality 
and  kind  attentions  of  himself  and  his  good  lady, 
.lie  was  considered  by  some  as  a  very  austere  man, 
and  a  bigoted  Catholic.  From  my  long  acquaint- 
ance with  him  I  can  say  that  his  house  was  truly 
a  house  of  prayer,  for  the  frequency  and  fervor  of 
his  devotions  were  such  as  to  cause  me,  a  Protest- 
ant, to  feel  condemned  at  my  own  shortcomings. 
While  for  strict  integrity  in  all  his  business  transac- 
tions, it  is  not  saying  too  much  to  assert  that  Cali- 
fornia, at  the  present  limc,  may  have  his  equal,  but 
not  his  superior.  I  have  no  sneer  to  cast  upon 
those  who  difler  from  me  in  religious  matters.     In 


j 


II 


k  I 


v 


if 


>' 


H 


5 


I, 


ti 


m 


~  -i 


350 


FO/?E  AND  AFT. 


my  somewhat  extended  acquaintance  with  Catholics, 
the  world  over,  I  am  happy  to  recall  as  my  friends 
a  number  whom  I  knew  to  possess  all  the  Chris- 
tian graces  that  adorn  humanity.  One  of  Don 
Jose  Noriega's  daugiiters  was  the  wife  of  a  Boston 
gentleman,  previous  to  the  Mexican  war.  She  had 
completed  her  education  in  the  United  States,  and 
returned  with  her  husband  to  California,  leaving 
her  eldest  daugliter  at  a  celebrated  school  for  young 
ladies,  and  a  son  preparing  to  enter  as  a  cadet  iit 
West  Point.  always  felt  that  during  Seilor  Nor- 
iega's life,  if  I- should  be  in  distress  of  any  kind  that 
needed  the  active  and  substantial  assistance  of  a 
friend,  I  should  call  upon  him  in  preference  to  any 
of  my  own  countrymen.  As  a  specimen  of  his 
harshness  and  austerity,  I  will  relate  an  incident 
which  occurred  while  he  was  Commandant  under 
the-Mexican  rule. 

During  the  contraband  times,  Don  Jose  had  inti- 
mation that  an  American  vessel  was  doing  an 
unlawful  business  at  Refugio,  just  above  Santa  Bar- 
bara, and  sent  some  soldiers  up  to  look  into  the 
matter.  They  found  the  Captain  at  a  ranche  sell- 
ing goods,  and  brought  him  prisoner  to  Santa  Bar- 
bara, the  boat  escaping  to  the  ship.  The  culprit 
was  examined  by  the  dreaded  Commandant,  and 
found  guilty.  A  sentence  of  confiscation  and  im- 
prisonment was  pronounced.  All  the  horrors  of  a 
Spanish  prison  rose  before  his  imagination ;  the 
loss  of  liberty  was  certain,  and  perhaps  a  lingering 
death,  and  the  ruin  of  the  voyage  highly  probable. 
"  Captain,"  said  the  judge,   "  you   are  guilty,  and 


A  PLEASANT  PJilSON. 


351 


dUcs, 
icnds 
;)hiis- 

Don 
ostou 
c  had 
3,  and 
saving 
young 
idet  at 
r  Nor- 
id  that 
e  of  u 
to  any 

of  his 
ncidcnt 

under 

ad  intl- 
)ing  an 
ita  Bar- 
nto  the 
he  sell- 
ita  Bar- 
culpiit 
mt,  and 
and  im- 
ors  of  ii 
on  ;  the 
ingcrhig 
robahlc. 
ilty,  and 


mu'  t  sufler  the  penalty  ;  you  must  <jo  from  hence  to 
prison,  but  you  may  Imve  the  clioice  of  confuiemcnt 
in  the  calaboose,  or  of  being  a  prisoner  at  my 
house."  Of  course  the  latter  was  preferred,  and 
the  treatment  received  at  the  hands  of  his  jailer 
was  of  tliis  kind :  the  best  room,  with  the  best 
bed  in  the  house,  was  his  place  of  incarceration. 
A  servant  every  morning  brought  to  hia  bedside,  be- 
fore tl'.e  prisoner  was  up,  a  bowl  of  rich  chocolate, 
served  up  on  a  heavy  silver  waiter,  all  the  other  ves- 
sels being  of  the  same  material,  after  which  he  was 
politely  invited  to  breakfast  with  the  family.  Tlieu 
followed  family  prayers,  and  the  *'  heretic "  was 
duly  presented  at  the  throne  of  grace,  and  then  in- 
formed that  he  could  go  where  he  chose,  only  with 
the  injunction  that  if  he  was  not  back  to  dinner  he 
would  be  sent  for.  The  prisoner  was  allowed  to 
send  instructions  to  the  mate  to  go  awav  with  the 
vessel,  and  return  in  three  months.  He  did  so  ;  and 
the  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter  was,  the  Captain 
was  allowed  to  join  his  vessel,  receiving  pay  for  the 
confiscated  goods  from  the  Commandant,  at  the 
highest  prices,  and  he  was  dismissed  with  the  in- 
junction to  *' go  and  sin  no  more."  And  this  was 
a  man  whom  I  have  heard  named  as  a  bigoted 
Catholic.  Perhaps  he  was  :  he  was  also  a  Christian 
gentleman  ;  and  well  might  the  prisoner  exclaim,  as 
he  was  released  from  the  silken  bonds, — ''Almost 
thou  pcrsuadest  me  to  be  a  Catholic." 

Tiie  Padre  President  of  the  Missiotis  in  Califor- 
nia, whom  I  frequently  met  at  the  table  of  Don 
Jose,  was  a  quiet,  fine-looking  old  gentleman  ;  he 


352 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


lU 


was  regarded  by  all  who  knew  him  as  a  man  of 
piety  and  learning,  of  strictly  moral  character,  and 
whose  life  was  in  accordance  with  iiis  exalted  sta- 
tion. One  day  at  dinner,  I  notice<l  that  the  good 
father,  instead  of  using  tlie  silver  spoons  and  clean 
knives  and  forks  provided  for  the  company,  took 
from  a  greasy  looking  pouch  which  he  carried  in 
his  pocket  a  remnant  of  a  knife  which  had  once 
been  a  common  table  implement,  but  was  now  re- 
duced to  about  two  inches  of  blade,  a  fork  minus 
the  handle,  and  an  iron  spoon,  all  of  which  were 
quite  rusty,  and  seemed  to  have  been  his  travelling 
companions  for  many  years.  I  inquired  the  reason 
for  this  singularity,  and  was  told,  that  at  the 
departure  of  each  missionary  from  the  College 
of  San  Fernando,  in  Mexico  (the  mother  of  all 
the  California  missions),  they  itre  provided  with 
these  articles  ai  the  expense  of  the  establishment, 
and  are  prohibited  from  using  any  others.  Some 
of  the  priests  of  the  Mission  are  given  to  immoral 
practices,  according  to  the  showing  of  their  own 
people.  Cannot  those  of  every  denomination  say 
the  same  of  their  own? 


•f.. 


A    VOrAGE   TO   CHINA. 


353 


lun  of 
r,  and 
d  sta- 

good 

clcati 
;,  took 
icd  ill 
d  once 
ow  rc- 

minus 
1  were 
veiling 

reason 

at    the 
College 
I-  of  all 
d  with 
,hment, 
Some 
m  moral 
uir  own 
tion  say 


CHAPTER    XXX. 


A  VOYAGE    TO    CHINA. 


A  FINE  run  from  the  coast  brought  us  to  anchor 
outside  of  the  reef  at  Honolulu,  Sandwich 
Islands,  about  the  first  of  July.  Having  lost  a 
number  of  my  crew  by  desertion,  it  was  necessary 
to  call  here  and  ootain  men.  I  found  quite  a  res- 
pcctabh^  looking  town,  with  a  decided  American 
appearance  ;  handsome  brick  and  frame  buildings, 
with  numerous  stores  and  shops,  and  an  abundant 
display  of  every  variety  of  goods  to  be  found  among 
civilized  people.  The  population,  so  largely  for- 
eign, among  which  Americans  predominate,  pre- 
sented a  wonderfid  contrast  to  the  time  I  first  knew 
the  place  before  a  missionary  had  landed  here,  and 
the  king  and  his  people  were  savages. 

On  entering  the  harbor  with  my  boat,  I  was  pull- 
ing by  a  whale-ship  moored  in  the  cove,  and  recog- 
nized in  her  the  EugC7ic^  formerly  of  Boston,  but 
now  hailing  from  Honolulu.  Having  formerly 
sailed  in  her,  I  called  on  board.  The  Captain  said 
she  was  a  good,  sound,  and  staunch  vessel ;  he  had 
commanded  her  six  years,  and  was  part  owner. 
In  reply  to  my  question,  he  said  she  was  about 
twelve  years  old,  but  not  over  thirteen  ;  and  he  was 
quite  astonished  when  I  assured  hiin  that  I  was 
23 


mmmmtmm. 


\ 

i! 

a 

i   ' 

354 


J^O/^E  AND  AFT. 


li      ' 


second  mate  of  that  very  ship  twenty-nine  years 
ago,  when  she  belonged  to  John  Pratt  &  Son,  of 
Boston.  The  builders  of  that  ship  may  feel  grati- 
fied in  knowing  tliat  the  Eugene  was  so  long  a 
substantial  witness  of  their  faithful  construction. 
On  landing,  the  principal  business  of  the  whole 
population  seemed  to  me  to  be  in  preparing  to  cel- 
ebrate the  Fourth  of  July,  which  was  near  at  hand. 
I  was  strongly  urged  to  remain  and  participate  in 
the  festivities,  but  having  obtai'ied  my  men,  and  a 
supply  of  fruit  and  vegetables,  I  sailed  again  after 
a  stay  of  tlurteen  hours;  and  'vjre  it  seems  a  fitting 
place  to  make  mention  oT  the  first  celebration  of 
the  '•  Fourth  "  ever  observed  at  these  islands. 

Forty-five  years  ag:)  the  Boston  ships  0'Crt/«, 
Captain  Jonathan  Winship,  Jr.,  the  Albatross^ 
Captain  Nathan  Winsbip,  and  the  Isabella^  Cap- 
tain \Vm.  H.  Davis,  were  moored  in  this  snug  and 
then  recciulj'-discovered  liarbor,  where  they  were 
shortly  after  blockaded  by  the  Cherub^  and  other 
British  men-of-war,  and  kept  there  durins:  the 
whole  period  of  the  war  with  England.  The  'ven- 
der is  that  these  ships  were  not  captured  or  des- 
troyed in  the  port,  which  fate  would  have  been  in 
character  with  the  cowardly  attack  and  destruction 
of  the  frigate  Essex  in  a  like  neutral  port,  by  the 
Phxhe  and  Cherub.  The  log-book  of  the  Alba- 
tross^ which  1  have  before  me,  says  :  "  A  tent  was 
erected  on  shore,  and  a  dinner  given  to  whoever 
may  choose  to  attend.  I'hirteen  guns  were  fired 
from  each  of  the  ships  at  sunrise,  noon,  and  sunset, 
and  were  replied  to  by  as  many  guns  from  the  king. 


.(  I    f, 


T"?T?^T-iPTT^  ~WVW^ 


''THE   GLORIOUS  FOURTH." 


355 


of 


The   ships    displayed    their  colors,   and    fireworks 
were  let  off  in  the  evening  in  commemoration  of 
American   independence."     At  that  time  the  only 
pilot  to  the  new  harbor  was  the  King  Tamaahmaah 
the  First,  who,  with  his  royal  double  canoes,  each 
seventy-five  loot  in  length,  manned  by  two  hundred 
brawny  arms,  always  iirst  boarded   each  vessel  that 
arrived,  and,  taking  command,  brought  her  within 
the  harbor.     Those  were  famous  days   when   the 
royal  pilot  stood  up,  and,  with  his  sword  in  hand, 
directed  the   motion   of  a   hundred  paddles.     The 
brothers  Winship  were  as   true   patriots   as   ever 
sailed  under  the   Stars   and    Stripes,  and,  with   the 
consent    of  the    noble    savage,  they  determined  io 
celebrate  their  nation's  birthday.       Under  a  shady 
grove  of  cocoa-nut  trees,  a  royal  banquet  was  pre- 
pared, such  as  the  days  of  Tamaahmaah  only  wit- 
nessed ;  mats  and  tables  were  spread  on   the  open 
plain  near  the  King's   residence,  and  His  Majesty, 
the  warm  friend  of  the  foreigner,  ordered   his   ser- 
vants to  prepare  liberally  for  the  feast.     In  addition 
to  the  provision  made  by  the  Americans,  the  tables 
and  mats  were  profusely  supplied  by  the  royal  bounty. 
It  was  a  grand  day.     Ten  thousand  natives  crowded 
around  to  participate  and  witness  the  feast.     Ever 
since  that  day  the  Fourth  of  July  has  been  held  in 
high  esteem  by  the  natives  ;  they    hail  it  with  joy, 
and  enter  with  as  much  zest   and   enthusiasm  into 
the  celebration  of  American  Independence,  as  if  it 
were  their  own 


national  d; 


'y- 


Three  days  out  from  Honolulu  we  had  our  cele- 
bration of  the  Fourth.     Gliding  pleasantly  on  our 


356 


FORE  AND  AFT. 


B!.  '  -> 


course  over  a  summer  sea,  the  too  moderate  breezes 
of  the  trade-winds  gently  swelling  every  sail  that 
could  be  spread  —  breezes  so  fixed  and  steady  to 
one  point,  that  the  position  of  a  sail  need  not  be 
changed  for  days  or  weeks — and  the  weather  warm 
enough  to  have  the  awnings  spread  fore  and  aft  —  the 
monotony  of  the  scene  I  was  glad  of  an  opportunity 
to  disturb.  Our  supplies  of  fresh  provisions,  vege- 
tables, fruit,  etc.,  were  abundant.  Therefore  the 
order  was  given  the  previous  evening  to  the  cook 
and  steward  to  get  up  a  good  dinner  for  fore  and 
aft.  Next  morning  the  colors  were  hoiste  .,  half- 
past  eleven,  and  all  hands  were  called  aft  to  il.rm  a 
circle  around  the  capstan  to  listen,  uncovered,  to  the 
reading  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  by  one 
of  the  boys  (Charlie,  a  son  of  Robert  Rantoul,  Jr.), 
who  was  mounted  on  the  bright  drum-head  of  the 
capstan.  At  noon  the  awnings  were  furled,  and  a 
salute  of  one  gun  for  each  State  fired.  The  steward 
concocted  and  served  out  to  each  one  of  the  crew  a 
tumbler  of  punch,  and  then  foil'^wed  an  hour  at 
dinner,  and  liberty  to  skylark  till  eight  bells.  In 
long  passages  I  have  always  embraced  such  occa- 
sions to  relieve  the  irksomeness  of  a  long  road,  and 
have  felt  that  such  a  policy  was  productive  of  good 
feeling  and  harmony  all  round. 

Owing  to  -a  very  light  trade-wind,  we  did  not 
make  the  Loo  Choo  Islands  until  July  30th,  and  did 
not  get  clear  of  the  group  until  three  days  after. 
We  entered  the  "  Chusan"  group  of  islands  on  the 
coast  of  China,  and  taking  a  pilot  outside  river 
Yangtzcekiang,  arrived  at  "  V/oosung"  August  5th. 


A   CHINESE  PILOT. 


357 


:th. 


In  entering  Woosung,  the  ship,  having  quick  way 
on  her,  and  in  charge  of  a  pilot,  met  a  fleet  of  lai*ge 
junks  coming  out;  one  of  them,  by  the  mismanage- 
ment of  her  crew,  came  in  contact  with  ;.  <  ship. 
The  flues  of  one  of  our  anchors,  and  ihe  .  'c  yard 
arm,  stripped  the  bamboo  masts  out  of  th*  *  nk  as 
if  they  had  been  pipe-stems ;  the  ship's  Headway 
was  not  checked,  nor  a  scratch  received. 

At  Woosung  we  found  the  steamer  Confucius^ 
belonging  to  the  Chinese  Government.  She  had  on 
board  a  part  of  the  ofiicers  and  crew  of  the  United 
States  Frigate  Macedonian^  which  wr\s  lying  at 
Shanghae,  and  was  bound  down  the  coast  to  break 
up  a  nest  of  pirates  who  were  committing  depreda- 
tions near  by  tliis  port.  After  anchoring,  I  sent  the 
pilot  on  shore  to  purchase  fresh  provisions  for  the 
ship.  This  fellow  was  an  old  Scotch  sailor,  and  is 
said  to  be  as  good  a  pilot  as  any  one  on  the  river. 
"Mac"  has  his  large  and  partly-decked  boat,  with 
a  bamboo  house  on  the  stern,  of  Chinese  construc- 
tion, in  which  he  lives  with  his  family,  —  that  is, 
what  he  calls  such.  I  saw  a  Chinawoman's  head, 
while  'ihe  was  looking  through  a  bamboo  grating 
of  the  hurricane  house,  but  what  else  there  was  in- 
side I  did  not  ascertain.  Mac  returned  to  the  sliip 
about  dark,  drunk,  and  without  any  supplies.  I 
refused  to  let  him  on  board,  and  advised  him  to  drgp 
his  craft  astern,  and  retire  to  the  hurricane  house 
and  recruit ;  he  did  so,  and  there  soon  appeared  to 
be  a  hurricane  in  the  house,  probably  got  up  by 
Mrs.  Mac.  During  the  evening  the  pilot  had  a  call 
from  the  captain  of  the  junk,  which  was  dismasted 


■J9 


■:)f 
••,-1 


I' 


If 

I  ■ 


u 


i 


hi 


35S 


-F(9/?i?  ^A'Z?  AFT. 


while  the  ship  was  entering  the  port:  no  doubt  he 
was  seeking  to  recover  damages;  however,  they 
made  such  a  "bobbery,"  that  the  mate  cast  ofT  the 
pilot-boat  rope  and  let  the  belligerent  parties  drop 
away  from  the  ship,  to  settle  the  matter.  The  next 
morning  the  pilot  came  on  board  in  good  shape, 
when  we  hove  up  the  anchor  and  proceeded  up 
river  to  Slianghae,  twelve  miles  distant,  anchoring 
near  the  "Bund,"  or  foreign  part  of  the  city. 

Calling  upon  the  house  of  Russell  &  Co.,  and 
consigning  the  ship  to  them,  I  was  politely  invited 
to  take  a  room  at  their  house,  which  in  a  few  days 
I  did,  and  soon  found  that  the  invitation  meant  that 
I  should  enjoy  the  unbounded  hospitality  of  Messrs. 
Cunningham  and  Gray — the  gentlemen  who  rep- 
resented the  house. 

Remained  at  Shanghae  about  three  months,  with- 
out any  incident  occuring  worthy  of  record. 

\Vc  loaded  with  silk  and  teas,  and  sailed  for  New 
York  November  14th,  clearing  the  river  on  the  20th. 
After  passing  the  islands  at  the  entrance,  we  took  the 
strong  north-east  monsoon,  and  made  fine  progress 
down  through  the  channc".  of  Formosa,  and  passed 
Pedro  Branca  on  the  25th.  The  same  morning  one 
of  the  crew  was  found  dead  in  his  bertli ;  he  had 
been  sick  in  port,  and  never  recovered  from  a  weak- 
ness which  waited  him  away.  At  noon  the  colors 
were  iuuitcd  at  half-mast,  the  ser\ice  for  the  dead 
was  reaii  over  him,  and  his  retrains,  sc»vcd  up  iu  his 
hammock,  were  committed  to  i:  sailor's  grave. 

December  5th  entered  the  Straits  of  Uiinca,  and 
anchored  for  the  night  near  Great  Xankia  Island; 


THE  END. 


359 


and  on  the  8th,  in  the  Straits  of  Sunda,  came  to  near 
North  Ishmd.  Here  we  were  boarded  by  some 
Mahiy  boats  from  Angier,  and  from  them  obtained  a 
huge  supply  of  sweet  potatoes,  phmtai'i,  mango- 
stecn,  pinc-applos  and  cocoa-nuts,  fowls,  paddy, 
Java  spa  'rows,  and  monkeys.  We  were  detained  by 
calms,  and  did  not  get  clear  of  the  Straits  until  Jan- 
uary 1st.  Off  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  on  the  29th, 
we  experienced  the  severest  gale  of  the  voyage,  but 
met  with  no  damage.  Two  days  after,  passed  t'le 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  with  a  strong  south-easter, 
having  a  fine  view  of  Table  Mountain.  Crossed  the 
Equator  February  23d,  in  longitude  36.50,  and  ar- 
rived at  New  York  March  21st,  having  performed 
the  voyage  round  without  bplitting  a  sail  or  losing 
a  spar. 

And  now,  in  bringing  these  sketches  to  a  close,  I 
desire  to  express  my  deep  obligations  to  an  over- 
ruling Providence,  who  has  shielded  and  protected 
me  in  all  my  wanderings.  "  Bless  the  Lord,  oh  my 
soul,  and  forget  not  all  His  benefits  1" 


H. 


